


The Truth in Legends

by StarlitQueen



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Moana (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Apocalypse, F/M, Future, Wayfiding, lalotai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-08 07:42:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 28,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10381839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlitQueen/pseuds/StarlitQueen
Summary: When Maui and Moana sailed across the great sea to restore the heart of Te Fiti, they almost did it. But they were no match for the rage of Te Ka. Moana did not survive. Maui vanished, his magical fish hook was reduced to ashes. The heart was lost once again.  Now the darkness was spreading across the ocean faster than ever.Unable to understand the destruction brought forth and desperate for something to blame, legends quickly spread of the evil demi god Maui who sacrificed a young girl in exchange for protection against the darkness. Maui, once the hero of all, was now hated by all.One hundred years later, Vea and her people have been racing against the darkness in a brutal struggle to survive. When they arrive on a lush island, seemingly untouched by the darkness, they dare to hope they have found paradise despite the fact the wayfarers believe that they have reached the last island, that there is nothing beyond.But Vea quickly discovers that her people are not alone on this new island.Weak and miserable, Maui clings to existence on the last island completely unaware of how the legends have changed. But as much Vea despises him, she cannot deny that he still might be their only hope.





	1. Fleeing Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something I decided to try out, I have a lot of ideas for where this story could go.  
> Just in case there is any confusion: No, Maui did not really sacrifice Moana. But the legends of how the destruction of the world came about say that he did so that's what many people believe.

Everyone knew the story. At the beginning of time, the mother goddess Te Fiti used the power within her heart to create life itself. The world flourished until the wicked and greedy Maui ripped the heart from her chest. Te Fiti had used all of her strength to send him into exile, separating him from his magical fish hook before she vanished. One thousand years later, a human, a young girl found Maui. He tricked her into helping him recover his hook from the realm of monsters on the promise that he would help her restore the heart of Te Fiti. But when they reached where the mother island used to sleep, Maui sacrificed the girl to the fire demon Te Ka in exchange for control of the heart.

But in Te Fiti's final act of defiance, her heart rejected both Te Ka and Maui. Te Ka was swallowed by the sea, Maui's hook was destroyed and he was cast out to the farthest corner of the earth. The mother island sunk beneath the sea and the heart of Te Fiti was never seen again. Darkness spread across the great ocean, engulfing island after island, turning what was once paradise of green and blue to crumbling ruins and seas of ash. The world was choking, it was on its last shaky breath.

And so were its people.

Vea lay on her stomach on the warm wood of the canoe, her hand trailing through the ocean as the wind pulled at the sails. As some of her long dark hair spilled forward over the deck, she was careful not to look directly into the water. She hated her reflection. Particularly, she hated her eyes. They were blue. No one else in her tribe had blue eyes. No one else from any other tribe had blue eyes. Vea only knew of one other person who ever had blue eyes, and Vea went to great lengths not to think about her.

For a long time people had complimented her eyes, how bright they were, how beautiful they looked against her dark golden skin. But after the day Vea lost everything, anyone who brought up her eyes was fixed with a glare that could sharpen fishing spears. Thankfully, the people of her village were fast learners. Eventually, they realized it was best to just leave Vea alone.

She was bitterly contemplating the legend that had pushed her people this far. The darkness had destroyed their island, and the island they took refuge on when they fled, and the island after that. It was a race and her people were losing. Their supplies was dwindling. The last island they had reached was too drained to grant them more than a few coconuts. They did not even stay the night. They had been at sea for two weeks now, Vea guessed. Truth be told, she had stopped counting the days and nights. She was not the wayfinder. She did not have to burden herself with the knowledge of how much time had passed since they had seen land. So she did not.

Her stomach growled with hunger but she ignored it. There were others who needed to eat first. The children, the elders, the men who never slept to ensure they stayed on course. They were more important than she was. She was the daughter of the chief of a dying tribe in a dying world. They did not speak of such things in front of their people, but Vea and her father had both come to terms with the reality that their world would disintegrate before Vea ever had a chance to lead.

Vea contemplated trying to sleep again, she rarely slept these days. But just as she closed her eyes she noticed a subtle change in the water. The current was getting warmer. Her head shot up, eyes wide, chapped lips opening in disbelief. She looked around at the small fleet of canoes that belonged to her people. Many were sleeping, others were laying as still as possible to conserve energy. But the wayfinders were looking to one another with the same disbelief Vea felt.

A warm current was a sure sign they were going the right way. It was a sign of life. For the first time in weeks Vea felt herself smiling. She wanted to stand up, leap for joy, dive into the ocean and laugh like a child. But instead she calmly looked back down at the water rolling beneath the canoe. She knew it was better to wait until there were more sure signs of land before getting anyone's hopes up.

When the sun sank below the horizon and the stars winked to life, the brief joy Vea felt had vanished. She stopped herself from reaching down to test the water. She did not want to feel if the current had gone cold.

She did, however, take some comfort from the stars. She examined the sky. All of the stars were still exactly where they were supposed to be. The fleet was still ahead of the encroaching darkness. Sometimes, when the sickness spreading across the world was too near, the stars would vanish. As if eating their world wasn't enough, the darkness was engulfing their map across the sea. Without the stars, they would be lost for sure. Although, the star map was not nearly as useful now that the fleet had entered uncharted territory. No one had ever journeyed this far before and returned to the home island.

“Be careful, you're going to give yourself a headache if you keep pulling your brow down like that.” Vea's grandmother, Kana, had walked across the deck of the canoe to sit beside her. “You should smile more. Vea sighed and made an effort to relax her furrowed brow, but did not smile.

“I wonder if it is too late to change this,” Kana continued, looking at the intricate tattoo of a turtle on her arm. “I chose it because I had grown up on the island and I expected to die on the island. Sea turtles migrate all over the world, but they are always able to find their way home. I had thought to myself, it is unlikely that I will be doing any migrating in this lifetime so I would very much like to migrate in the next. Well, it looks as if fate has made me the fool. It is the last leg of my life and I have had more migration than I ever cared to. I would like my next life to be quite stagnant. Maybe as a coral? That seems easy.”

Vea could not help but laugh. She admired many of her grandmother's qualities, but it was Kana's wit that Vea admired the most. Kana was once the greatest healer in the entire village, back when the village was vast and prosperous. Kana had tried to pass on her gifts to Vea, but Vea did not take to it like Kana hoped she would. What Vea had really been interested in was storytelling.

When she was little, Vea would stay up far later than the other children her age begging the elders to tell her just one more story before bed. She absorbed the legends of their people much faster than she had learned which plants could kill a person and which plants could save a life.

Vea developed a natural talent for storytelling early on. She could just as easily make up a story out of thin air as she could recall the legends of her people. Her favorite made up stories often illustrated how she would slay the demigod Maui and discover a way to fight the spreading darkness.

When her people first fled their home island, Vea had tried to keep their spirits high by telling any story she could think of. She had once made up a tale about a fish that had fallen in love with a pig. But as it seemed less and less likely that they were going to find a new home, Vea had lost her desire to spin stories. In fact, Vea spoke less and less every day. But she never shut her grandmother out. She could not.

“How about I tell you the one about the sun when he fell in love with the moon?” Kana said with a mischief smile. She knew it was Vea's favorite story.

Unable to resist, Vea laid her head in her grandmother's lap and listened to the story of the sun who loved the moon so much he was willing to drown himself in the sea every day so that she might live every night. He did it willingly even though he knew it meant he could never see her, be near her. It was worth it to him.

With the comforting tones of her grandmother's voice and the soothing familiarity and beauty of the story, Vea was able to sleep more peacefully than she had in years.

 


	2. A New Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea and her people finally find a new island untouched by the spreading darkness. Though Vea knows it can only be a temporary resting place, she still finds herself feeling better than she has in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left positive feedback and kudos. It really does mean the world to me. This chapter is a little shorter than I want it to be but I couldn't think of another way to end it where it wouldn't be awkward. The main point of this chapter was to give people an insight to the way Vea thinks, which is rather pessimistic.

Vea woke the next morning to the sounds of shrieks. She quickly scrambled to her feet, fearing the worst. Someone may have fallen off their canoe, or finally collapsed from exhaustion. Or worse. It wouldn't have been the first time on of their number slipped away forever. Half of the tribe has been lost since they first fled Moali'i. Vea's mother was among the fallen. She never made it off the island. The darkness was too fast, too angry. Vea closed her eyes tightly and forced herself to come back to the present.

But no one aboard the fleet of canoes had fallen or collapsed. There was the same number of living souls that morning as there at been the night before. Vea noticed everyone was standing, their faces turned westward as the eastern sun rose behind the fleet. Vea turned to see for herself.

At the edge of the horizon, little more than a smudge on the sea, was an island. More importantly, the island was green., an indicator that the darkness had not yet poisoned the island. A gasp caught in her throat. To her surprise, her eyes filled with tears. She rapidly blinked them away.

Her father, Chief Ahohako, came up beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder. His usually grim expression looked softer, almost hopeful. Vea laid her hand over his.

“It will be a suitable place to gather our strength,” he said, his voice deep and grating. Many people found his voice intimidating, even frightening but Vea found it just as soothing as Grandma Kana's voice. Chief Ahohako was careful to avoid using words that implied permanence, like 'home'. The island would be a welcome reprieve from the endless expanse of ocean. They would be able to restock their supplies and mend the boats. But Vea, her father, and the tribe knew that, at best, they could stay on the island for a few weeks before the darkness caught up to them. But a few weeks was far more than anyone could ever ask for in a world like this.

That did not damper their enthusiasm. The canoes were alive with a flurry of activity as every pitched in to secure the dwindling supplies and prepare for arrival. But the wind was not in their favor. The sun was beginning to set when they were finally close enough to make out the details of the island. The curve of the shore, the beaches, the crags and mountains. It was a large island, larger than they expected to find. The resources would be bountiful. The women of the village were already excitedly planning a celebratory feast as if they knew exactly what they would find when they stepped ashore.

They spoke of roasting coconuts, slicing upon dozens of types of fruit, even cooking chicken or wild pig. Normally, Vea stopped this sort of talk. More than likely, they would not find more than a few coconut trees, which was all they needed. It was not safe to hope for more. The disappointment would hurt more than starvation.

Many of the people in the village thought her way of thinking was sad, some even thought it cruel. Why deny people hope, when hope was what kept them going?

“I hoped my mother would make it to the canoe,” was her usual reply. She only ever tried to protect people from the crushing pain of when hope failed.

But for once, she let them talk and dream. Today, it looked as if hope was not going to fail them.

They finally reached the island halfway through the night. It was not ideal, since they would have to wait until morning to start building shelters and scouting for food. But no one complained. In fact, quite the opposite. It was a full moon. The face of the island was bathed in milky silver light. Everyone gathered on the silver sand and marveled at the beauty of the island. There were so many trees, more than Vea had seen in years. The coconut trees were easy to distinguish. Vea counted at least a dozen, all bearing heavily with fruit.

Working together, they pulled the canoes onto the beach. Many of the villagers elected to sleep on the sand, rather than spend another night on the boats. Vea was among them. She lay on her back beside her grandmother and tried to get comfortable. It was odd not to feel the rocking of the ocean beneath her. It was a welcome change, but she still needed to adjust.

“The earth feels good beneath these old bones,” Kana whispered in the darkness. “I forget how good an island feels after a long migration. Perhaps I would make a good turtle after all.” Vea chuckled and rolled to look at her grandmother.

“Or a bird perhaps,” she whispered back. “I think you'd make a good bird. You sure can squawk like one.” Kana didn't bother to keep her laughter quiet.

“I should have known that after days of silence the first thing you say would be something wicked. Tongue like a whip, you have. You take after me that way.”

“And proud of it,” Vea replied. It was a strange feeling, but on the ocean even when she was surrounded by her people, Vea felt disconnected and lost. Like she was her own island floating in an endless ocean. The ocean was always viewed as something that connected people, not separated them. She did not blame the ocean for not feeling the way she was supposed to. It wasn't the ocean's fault, after all. There was something wrong with her. But being on the shore, being able to feel the heartbeat of the land beneath her, made her feel better. More grounded, more connected. She felt a little more like her old self before the darkness came tearing across the land. The tightness she felt constantly gripping her throat had loosened, allowing her to find her voice again.

“Perhaps tomorrow you could tell everyone a story. There's going to be a celebration for sure. I think one of your stories would be a welcome addition to it,” Kana prompted. Vea hesitated. She used to love sitting around the fire telling stories with the elders. Where the elders re-told stories that had been passed down from generation from generation, the history of the people, Vea made up brand new stories. More to entertain than to teach.

“If I can think of something really good,” she said at last. She didn't want the first story she told in years to be bland. There once was a time where she could think up entire worlds and put them into stories. But that gift disappeared with Moali'i. She didn't dare hope it would come back to her. “I was thinking of scouting the forest tomorrow for healing plants.” The idea had just come to her, more of a distraction to get Kana to stop talking about storytelling than anything else. But it wasn't a bad idea. No none knew more about healing than Kana but she was in no state to walk around the rough terrain of an unexplored island. Kana's wrinkled face lit up at the idea.

“Let's hope you don't mistakenly kill us all with what you bring back,” she said. Vea knew she was pleased.

 


	3. Te Fiti's Tear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the sun rises Vea and her people find shelter and discover what the new island has to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two chapters are already outlined and will be posted within the next day or so :) Maui will be making his first appearance and I am very excited. Thanks for reading!

First thing in the morning the real work began. Vea, Chief Ahohako, and those who felt like they had recovered enough from the sleepless stretch at sea, set about exploring the island to find the best place to build shelters.

Though the beach was nice, the sand was too pliable. Any structure they built would shift as the sand changed shape. Not to mention the risk of everything washing away during the high tide. Luckily, the small group didn't have to journey far. About a half mile inland from the beach was an expanse of mostly flat earth. It wasn't very large, but large enough for makeshift homes and a fire pit. After all, the tribe was much smaller than they were when they were forced to flee Moali'i. Now their numbers had dwindled down to around forty, when they had once been nearly two hundred.

Vea had been right about the coconut trees. There were enough to feed everyone ten times over. And they would be able to collect enough leaves and fibers to have most of what they would need for shelter. They would avoid cutting down trees if they could. They were only meant to borrow from the land, not take.

In addition to coconuts, Vea noticed mango trees, papaya trees, banana trees and an assortment of bushes bursting with a rainbow of berries. Some she recognized, others she had never seen before. Trying one was not worth the risk. Not at least until Kana examined the plant. In the meantime, Vea returned to her father who was giving instructions to the people.

“You four will start on the fire pit,” he directed four strong men who would be able to find and carry porous lava stones for the pit. “Half of you will stay here and start collecting leaves, branches, anything that we can use for building shelter. The other half will come with me. We much fetch the stones.”

Vea walked beside her father, the others trailing behind them. Vea was familiar with this ritual. It was done every time they found a new temporary shelter. In the hull of the largest canoe were two dozen large stones carved with whorls and ancient symbols. The stones were to be placed around their makeshift village to ward off any that would do them harm. Though the darkness was much more powerful than a few ancient charms, it did ward off most unfriendly creatures. And now that the world was in turmoil, who could say for sure what dark and unnatural things were lurking nearby.

Vea carried her stone, running her fingers over the grooves as she walked. As a child, she had a doubted the power of the stones. She thought the stones were a clever trick the elders came up with to make the children behave and stay within the village.

But when Vea was about ten years old, she saw a young woman break off her betrothal to one man in favor of another she truly loved. When the first man returned to the village, angry and seeking revenge, he found he could not step passed the stones. She had only seen the power of the stones once or twice after that, but she never doubted their power again.

The stones were valuable to the village not just because they kept danger at bay, but because they ensured that the people of Moali'i would always treat each other with kindness, fairness, and compassion. There was not a single person in her tribe that she would hesitate to call family regardless of blood relation.

She laid the protection stone in its proper place, running her fingers over it once last time as she set it down. She then walked to each stone, ensuring it was where it needed to be. Satisfied that their little patch of earth was protected, she returned to the clearing. Some of the men had found a generous amount of lava rocks and were quickly building a pit large enough to cook food for everyone.

The children, with their nimble fingers and toes, were wiggling up the trunks of the coconut trees and tossing them down to the waiting hands of their parents. It would not take long to collect enough for everyone.

Some of the women were gathering enormous banana leaves and laying them out on the ground, floors for the eventual shelters. Vea quickly joined a group that was gathering thick branches and trunks of already fallen trees for the sturdier parts of the shelters. They found a fair amount but it still looked like a few trees would need to be cut down.

The work was hard and tedious but everyone was in high spirits. It was work they were glad to be doing. It was only when a slippery coconut fell from the tree and nearly dislocated someone's shoulder, that Vea had remembered her half promise to collect medicinal plants. Vea grabbed an empty basket and made her way to the edge of the clearing, toward a thick forest.

As she stepped away from the village and walked deeper into the jungle she realized that she should have asked Grandma Kana for a quick lesson to refresh her memory. Her mind whirled with hundreds of plant names, half of which she was sure didn't actually exist. She never was good at remembering the plant names, she was better at remembering what they looked like. Hopefully, she would find something that looked familiar soon or she would never hear the end of it from Kana. Not to mention, the poor coconut victim would have a sore arm for a week.

 _Plants for pain, plants for pain,_ she thought to herself over and over as if it would help. She did remember a plant with thick, waxy leaves and a slightly speckled underside was a good treatment for pain when it was ground into a paste. Or was the speckling a sign of poison?

Kana was right, she really was going to kill someone on accident.

She walked past a bush bursting with brilliantly pink flowers with white bands. Where those flowers good for fever or did they cause boils?

“This is hopeless,” she groaned to herself. In the end, she resolved to gather as many waxy leaves as she could and bring them to Kana. The odds were that one of them would be for pain. The more she walked, the more she started pulling at any plant that looked even slightly medicinal. Grandma Kana would sort them out.

Vea was about to turn back to the village when she heard the faint, but unmistakable sound of rushing water. There must be a stream nearby. She immediately started off in the direction of the sound. She would find the stream, and carefully track her way back to the village so anyone could find it again. Maybe if she did something good for the entire village, such as find a reliable water source, everyone would stop expecting her to be the bitter, spiteful girl she knew she had become. Maybe, on this new island, she had a change to be better.

The stream was very small and shallow. It fed into a small pool of water that, despite being stagnate, remained crystal clear. No matter what angle Vea looked at it from, she could not see the bottom of the little pool. She decided it must be a trick of the light. Bottomless or not, it looked like it could be a perfect source of drinking water. But that wasn't all the little pond had to offer.

Vea recognized it immediately. Growing along the opposite side of the pond was a small plant with silvery green leaves. Vea had never seen this plant in person before, she honestly did not believe it existed. She had only heard of it in the legends the elders told. They had called the plant Te Fiti's Tear. It was said that the oils from one tear shaped leaf could restore anyone's health even if they were on the brink of death.

Vea almost picked a few leaves to bring back to Kana but quickly stopped herself. She remembered that the leaves didn't last long once they had been picked. She remembered a story about an old tribe that picked all of the Te Fiti's Tear on their island at once. Everyone in the tribe carried some with them, in case it was needed. But years later, when a horrible plague swept through the tribe they quickly discovered that Te Fiti's Tear had lost its potency after being separated from the earth for so long. Nearly everyone in the old tribe perished. Those who survived spread the cautioning tale about taking from Te Fiti's Tear.

Vea smiled to herself, pleased that she was still able to recall stories as she needed to. She was a lot better at that then remembering plant names. With her basket filled with leaves and flowers that were potentially life saving or potentially poisonous, Vea made her way back to the village.

 


	4. Lights in the Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to sleep, Vea chases a strange light into the jungle and finds an unexpected nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for putting up with the first few chapters that were basically just pure exposition. Now we can get to the fun stuff. Enjoy!

That night, as Vea laid in a mostly finished hut between her sleeping father and snoring grandmother, she struggled to find sleep. On the ocean, she didn't sleep for more than one or two hours at a time. After a long day filled with hard work she should be exhausted. She had shown her people the way to the little pond. They were appreciative of her discovery. The fact that her first instinct was to share it with everyone helped thin the tension that had been building around her for the past three years.

Vea would never keep the pond a secret, but now the people of her tribe had a chance to see that she was not as selfish as they thought she was. It was a step forward, but there were still many steps to take in order to mend the rift Vea had created between herself and her people. But thinking about it made her head spin and her stomach tighten unpleasantly.

When her restlessness reached it peak she quietly got to her feet and stepped around her sleeping family. The air on the island was slightly warmer than the air at sea, but Vea still shivered a little. After three years of minimal meals, Vea had become very thin. Not that the villagers had noticed, but Vea often abstained from meals at sea so there would be more food for the others. But now it was very difficult for her to keep herself warm. The clothes she wore were often made from a thicker material than everyone else. At night she covered herself in woven linen for warmth. Grandma Kana had woven a blanket for her the year before, the last time the tribe had found a somewhat stable home.

The fire had been extinguished but some embers still clung to life. She sat next to the pit and picked up a slightly warm lava stone, savoring the leftover heat.

The plants she had brought back for Kana were more or less useful. But she had gotten an earful of a lecture from Kana when she couldn't name most of the plants or accurately describe what they were used for.

“I think this one will dull pain,” she told Kana holding up the waxy, speckled leaf she had found first.

“If you give this leaf to Makao, you'll paralyze him,” Kana snorted, referring to the young man who suffered the coconut attack, who was sitting beside the pair looking terrified.

“Well if he's paralyzed he won't feel any pain,” Vea had replied much to Makao's horror. Kana had given her a look that was equal parts amusement and exasperation. “What? Technically I'm not wrong,” Vea laughed.

The village had thrown a feast that night around the fire. If Vea didn't think too much, she could almost pretend everything was like how it used to be. Everyone was singing, laughing and eating far too much. And when everyone was nearly immobile from so much food, then the elders began to tell their stories. Vea felt content to listen to the familiar legends of gods, monsters and warriors.

“Does Vea have a story for us, I wonder?” Itu, one of Kana's oldest friends and like a grandfather to Vea smiled from across the fire, happy to have been included. Vea wanted to tell a story, she really did. But her mind was blank. So instead she told the legend of Te Fiti's Tear.

“That was an odd choice,” Chief Ahohako had commented after she finished her halfhearted retelling.

“Well I found some Te Fiti's Tear in the jungle today, so I figured this was a good time to remind everyone not to pick it until we need it,” Vea offered weakly. In truth, she was deeply disappointed in herself for not being able to spin a story. Everyone in the village had something unique they brought to the tribe. Storytelling was Vea's special gift and she was terrified she had lost it.

Now as she sat on the packed dirt, looking back and fourth between the twinkling stars above and the glowing embers below, she tried to think of something. The only thing that came to mind was a story about a girl who accidentally killed her whole village with her mediocre knowledge of medicinal plants. Kana would probably be the only one to get a kick out of that.

Feeling more restless than she had inside her hut, Vea stood up and began pacing. First she only paced around the fire. Then she widened her circle more and more until she was walking just inside the perimeter of the protection stones. It was on her third lap around the village that something caught her eye.

It was so brief she thought she imagined it but a few moments later it appeared again. There was something pale blue and shimmering flickering between the trees a little ways beyond the village stones. It was moving.

Before she could stop herself, Vea stepped outside of the protective circle and dashed after the light. Perhaps it was a Patupaiarehe. Kana had told her stories of them as a child. She always wondered if they were real.

As she ducked between the thickening trees, she was aware that she was heading in the direction of the stream she had found earlier. Sometimes, she feared she had lost the shimmering figure, but it always appeared sooner or later, always half hidden behind a tree so Vea could never get a full look.

Vea broke through another cluster of trees and plants. Suddenly the jungle seemed darker and quieter. She could faintly hear the distant babbling of the stream to her left. But everything else was silent. No birds, no clicking insects. It was unnatural. Slowly, she started backing away. Her plan was to find the stream and make her way back to the village from there. But then she felt a strange, gentle breeze on her face. A breeze that did not rustle the plants around her.

“Help,” a low, almost inaudible voice groaned on the breeze. Vea froze in terror. She was not alone. For many long moments she did not move. She was almost able to convince herself that she had imagined the voice when she heard it again. This time, she couldn't hear any words, just a pained moan and another breeze that seemed to touch nothing but her.

“Is someone there?” She said in a panicked whisper. She felt torn. One the one hand, she had no idea what dangers lurked just out of sight. Stepping farther into the suffocatingly dark jungle could mean death. On the other hand, someone might be hurt, possibly dying themselves.

“If you can hear me, make a noise,” She called again, a little louder this time. Again she felt the breeze.

“Help,” the voice came again. It was very weak. Whoever it was clearly needed care. If Vea could just find them and get them back to the village, Kana would know what to do. Following the sound of the moaning breeze, she ducked around tree trunks and under massive leaves. She paused when she came to a clearing, maybe twenty feet in diameter. Her eyes were focused on the ground, looking for a curled up body. She scanned the clearing as best she could in the heavy darkness but did not see anything.

“Hello?” She called softly. Whoever she was looking for couldn't be much farther away. Directly across the clearing, she saw the pale blue light reappear. Vea was starting to feel foolish. If the light really was a Patupaiarehe, there was a good chance it was using a false voice to trick her and disorient her. Patupaiarehe were not always friendly to humans. Vea should have thought of that before running headlong into a labyrinth of trees.

There was a shift in the canopy above. A blade of moonlight sliced down, illuminating the clearing as well as a massive figure standing directly across from Vea. She bit down hard on her lip to hold back the scream that jumped into her throat.

The man that stood before her was huge, bigger than any man in her village, even her father. But there was something not right about the imposing figure. His skin looked too small for his bones. She could see his ribs, his cheeks were hollow, his hair hung limp and dirty around his shoulders. And his eyes, though they were open and staring directly into hers, were dull like black stones. Vea found him deeply unsettling but she couldn't move or even look away.

She couldn't be sure if he was aware of her presence. She had called out just moments ago, and he was staring directly at her with his cold, dead stare. But he made no move to come closer. If he was hunting her then he was doing a poor job. She noticed that he was not blinking.

She opened her mouth to speak, she didn't know what she was going to say. But it didn't matter anyways. As soon as she noticed his tattoos, her voice vanished. Dread gripped her by the throat as her eyes traveled over the familiar designs covering his chest. A man holding up the sky, lassoing the sun, stealing fire from the center of the earth. She knew who those tattoos belonged to. Vea finally found enough of her voice for one horrified whisper.

“Maui.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Patupaiarehe- from Maori mythology, a pale spirit that dwells in deep forests


	5. The Dying Demigod

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea finds herself in the forest with a dying demigod and a moral dilemma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may end up reworking this chapter. I just wanted to post it so I can keep the story going, even though I'm not 1000% satisfied with it. I hope you enjoy it all the same.

The longer Vea stared, the more the initial terror she felt gave away to anger. Never in a thousand years did she think that she would be standing in front of the being that ruined her life, ruined her people's life, and ruined the entire world. And she had to admit it, she was a little disappointed. He looked terrible, like one strong gust of wind would topple him. He did not at all match up to the imposing picture the old legends painted. But then again, he was a master trickster and a shapeshifter. This could very well just be an illusion.

_But his hook was destroyed when he sacrificed the girl,_ Vea recalled. So, now that he didn't have his hook, did he still have his powers? Was he anything more than ordinary now?

“Maui,” she snarled. His expression shifted ever so slightly, there was the tiniest gleam of recognition in his eyes. Another breeze surrounded Vea. It made sense now, he was a demigod of the wind. He manipulated the breeze to carry his voice so she could hear it. So, even without his hook he must still have some inkling of his powers. Was he really so weak that it was all he could manage? She had heard tales of him conjuring hurricanes with the pass of a hand.

“Help me,” the breeze sighed. Vea barked out a laugh.

“Help you? Do you really think I'm going to fall for that?” She spat. “I know what you're trying to do. I will not be your next sacrifice.” Maui responded with a shuddering, wheezy breath. He shifted, as if he was trying to move forward. But he was far too weak and collapsed almost immediately. When he made no move to get back up, Vea cautiously stepped forward. It was then that she noticed the wound on his neck.

A deep half moon shaped mark festered and oozed a thick silvery substance that shimmered in an almost pretty way in the moonlight. It reminded Vea of the inside of an abalone shell. She mentally flipped through all of the monsters from legend she knew of. Nothing she thought of could leave a mark like that.

“You aren't faking this, are you?” She murmured, peering closer to look at the wound. It wasn't clean cut, some of the edges were jagged. Like a bite mark. Vea felt a weak breeze push against her cheek.

“Dying,” a grating voice whispered in her ear.

“The brink of death,” she whispered. Her mind flickered to the small cluster of Te Fiti's Tear. She instantly wished she had not remembered it. She could heal him. The breeze she now felt against her cheek was no stronger than the flap of a butterfly's wing.

“Please.”

Often she considered being the girl who slayed Maui and avenged the world. But that was much more appealing than the girl who stood by while a demigod died. Deep down she knew that killing him was not going to fix the world, no matter how satisfying it was to imagine. And killing him now when he was so close to death, and when she had the power to save him, would not be right. Besides, there was something on the island strong enough to bring down Maui. And Vea was willing to bet Maui was the only one who could tell her anything about it so she could warn her people.

“Damn it!” She yelled in frustration. “Don't move.” She said to Maui. “Well, of course you aren't going to move. You can't move. Just-ugh!” She took off back in the direction of the stream. The tiny leaves of Te Fiti's Tear glowed faintly in the dark. With great care, she plucked exactly one leaf and hurried back to the clearing where Maui lay, barely breathing.

She knelt down beside him and shifted his head so she could hold the leaf over his mouth.

“Don't you dare make me regret using this leaf,” she hissed and began twisting the leaf so the oils leaked out. She probably should have been more gentle with the little leaf but she was far too irritated to care. “Personally, I don't think you deserve this. But it's not my job to decide such things. So I'm being a good person. But as soon as you're better I strongly suggest finding another island.”

In the dark, it was hard to be sure that any of the oils from the leaf were getting in his mouth. But then he swallowed and, a few moments later, his entire body relaxed. His chest started rising and falling evenly with healthy breaths. There was no more wheezing. It would take time for the oil from the leaf to take effect. Probably more than a day, considering the state Maui was in.

Vea got to her feet and brushed the dirt off her legs. She had no intention of sitting in the dark to baby sit an unconscious demigod. She had saved his life. She did her part. She really hoped she wasn't going to regret it later.

When she returned to her village, she crawled into her hut and laid back down between her father and grandmother. She shut her eyes and did everything in her power to pretend that the last few hours had not happened.

 


	6. Different Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wayfinders of Vea's village make an unusual discovery.

“Grandma, will you please give me something that will help me sleep?” Vea begged after two sleepless nights. After leaving Maui in the jungle, Vea was jumpy. Through out the day she kept looking over her shoulder, waiting for Maui to appear. She was so distracted that she nearly knocked over her cousin, Leali's, hut while attempting to do her morning chores. Leali's husband, Waata, had given Vea a stern talking to about caring for other people's things as if Vea were a careless toddler.

Even before the darkness had spread, Waata and Vea had never gotten along. He thought Vea's unnatural eyes were sign of wickedness. He was sure that as long as Vea was there, the tribe would be cursed. Everything that followed seemed to prove him right. Vea tried not to pay him any mind.

After several more, less minor, mishaps Chief Ahohako insisted she stop working until she got a proper nights sleep. But unfortunately for Vea, she felt another sleepless night coming on. She, Kana, and Chief Ahohako had retired for the night and were all sitting in their hut, though Vea was wide awake.

“Here take this,” Kana said, reaching into the woven bag she kept at her hip and pulling out a very familiar thick, waxy leaf with light speckling.

“Wait, won't that paralyze me?” Vea asked refusing to touch the leaf.

“If you're paralyzed you'll be able to sleep,” Kana replied with a mischievous smile. The Chief laughed and turned to look at his mother and daughter.

“Well, she isn't wrong,” he said. Kana gave Vea a smug look.

“I think I finally found a way to make Vea learn her plants,” Kana tried to speak through her laughter. “Poison her until she figures it out.” Vea didn't at all mind being the butt of the joke. Not when her family was acting like they used to, laughing and joking together. But their moment of normalcy was short lived when a young man burst into the hut.

“Chief Ahohako, we must speak with you.” It was Napo, the village's head wayfinder. His normally friendly face was serious. The Chief got to his feet but when Vea moved to follow him, like she usually did, he motioned for her to stay. Once he was out of sight, Vea turned to Kana.

“Well, aren't you going to sneak after them? I want to know what the big secret is,” Kana urged. Vea bit back a laugh.

“Have I told you that you're my favorite grandmother?” Vea replied as she peered outside to see where her father and Napo had gone.

“Of course I am,” Kana preened, despite being Vea's only grandmother. “Now hurry up before you miss the good stuff.”

They were not hard to find. Chief Ahohako, Napo, and the other wayfinders were standing in the darkest corner of their village within the protection stones. Vea concealed herself behind the thick trunk and low hanging fronds of a squat palm tree. She half expected to see Maui through the darkness, holding the other wayfinders hostage in order to gain a secret audience with the Chief. Why he would do that, Vea actually could not think of a reason. But in the end it did not matter. She quickly discovered that Maui was not present. The secret conversation between the wayfinders and her father was about something else entirely.

“You must be mistaken,” Chief Ahokako was saying.

“Look for yourself if you don't believe us,” Napo said defensively. Vea had never heard him speak that way before. Something must be wrong. “Find the stars that make the curve of Ke Kā o Makali‘i.” 

“Have you lost you're mind?” The Chief snapped, now more irritated. “They are right there.” He pointed to the sky but instantly froze when he looked up. Vea looked up too and had to stifle a gasp. The constellation was not there. Instead where a configuration of stars Vea was unfamiliar with. But that was impossible. She looked for the next constellation, and it too was not there. The entire southern sky was filled with unfamiliar stars.

“But look to the east and to the north,” Napo continued. “The stars are as they should be.” And he was right. Vea counted 'A, Hanukai, Naniku, Po'ouli, and the other familiar paterns in the sky's map. She had to tell Kana. Maybe her grandmother had seen something like this before. She was the oldest person on the island.

“Grandma,” Vea gasped bursting back into the hut. “The stars are wrong. That's what Napo wanted to tell father. The stars to the south...are different.”

“Oh, is that all?” Kana sighed. “I noticed that when we first came ashore.”

“And you didn't think to mention it?” Vea asked in surprise.

“No one was looking at the southern sky that night, just the sand before them. Who was I to take that moment away after we've been searching for a safe island for so long?” Kana retorted, then she chuckled. “Besides, it is much more fun seeing how long it takes everyone to figure things out. Though I admit I thought you would notice the stars of another world sooner.”

“I've been...a little preoccupied,” Vea said in defense. But she felt that was not the most pressing point. “Could they really be another world's stars? Is that even possible?” Vea asked, beginning to pace back and fourth around the hut. “And what world is it if it's not ours?”

“You know as well as I do that the only ones who have an answer to that are the gods. But if it makes you feel better you can keep pestering me with endless, unanswerable questions,” Kana huffed as she strung up various leaves and flowers to dry in the airy hut overnight.

 _The gods,_ Vea repeated to herself. She groaned loudly. As far as she was concerned, the gods had abandoned them. However, there was a demigod...

“What was that for? You sound like an injured boar,” Kana said over her shoulder.

“I think I know someone who might have answers,” Vea sighed.

“I should think you'd be happy about that,” Kana replied throwing Vea a suspicious look.

“Yeah, well he might be dead,” Vea called over her shoulder as she stormed out of the tent and back into the jungle.

 


	7. A Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea returns to the jungle to search for Maui. When she finds him, things to not go exactly as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so fun fact about me: I lived on the island of Maui for quite a while. So when it was announced that Maui would be a main character in Moana, I already knew he would be special to me. I did not plan on him being this much of an inspiration though.  
> Maui will be featured much more prominently from here on out, I'm so excited. Also, I think keeping the chapters short was a good move, makes it much easier to update. Thanks for reading :)

Vea picked her way through the trees, retracing her steps from the night before. When she reached the clearing, she found that Maui was not there anymore. She did not know if she was happy or troubled by that. Luckily it had not rained sine that night so Maui was easy to track. There was a massive disruption in the earth where he fell and several deep footprints leading in the opposite direction of the village.

“Well, he's not dead,” Vea muttered to herself. She followed the trail of deep footprints and bent trees all the way to a small strip of pink sandy beach. On the opposite end of the beach was a sheer rock face with an overhang. Under the shelter of the overhang, Vea could make out a small fire spit, a collection of roughly made spears, and a very still Maui laying on a sleeping mat.

“Well, he's _probably_ not dead,” Vea amended, unable to see whether or not Maui was breathing from where she stood. She walked cautiously across the small beach, making as little noise as possible. She was so focused on discerning whether or not Maui was alive before she got too close, that she didn't notice the small arch of protection stones around his shelter. She smacked right into an invisible barrier and fell backwards into the sand.

“I know I don't have the warmest feelings for Maui but I don't plan on harming him _right_ _now,”_ she muttered at the stones, knowing full well it wouldn't make any difference what she said. The stones could see into a person's heart. The stones knew that given the chance, Vea would take an oar to his face. Or worse.

Despite all the racket she was making, Maui still didn't stir. Vea sighed. It was time for an alternate method.

“Hey!” She called out to him to no effect. With a frustrated sigh, she tried again. “Hey!” She shouted loud enough to frighten the birds from the trees. Maui startled awake with a yelp and looked around wildly for the source of the noise. When he saw Vea, his eyes narrowed into a glare. He made Vea uneasy but she did not let it show. Though he still looked thinner than he should be, the looked infinitely better than the last time she saw him. His eyes were bright and alert. She could see the muscles working under his tattooed skin as he moved.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded. He recognized her. Vea did not expect that.

“I need a favor,” she replied bluntly.

“You need a favor? The girl who left me for dead in the jungle needs a favor?” Maui said incredulously.

“I did not leave you for dead,” Vea snapped. Maui folded his thick arms over his chest and glared at her, one eye brow raised. “Fine. I technically left you in the jungle, yes. But only after I saved your life. So you owe me.”

“You did not save my life,” Maui scoffed.

“Oh really?” Vea snapped. “What do you think happened then? You just collapsed with a gaping wound on your neck then woke up a few hours later magically all better.” It was clear by Maui's expression that that was exactly what he thought had happened. “I gave you oils from Te Fiti's Tear, genius.” Maui's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open in surprise. He looked at a loss for words. “So, once again,” Vea continued. “I need a favor.”

“Not even going to ask how I'm feeling?” Maui asked, pretending to be offended.

“No. Because I don't care,” Vea replied. Maui gave her a puzzling look.

“You are not a nice person, are you?” He asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Nope. Now, that favor?” Vea prodded.

“Well, sweetness, I don't have my hook so if you're looking for a display of demigod magic, that isn't going to happen,” Maui said bitterly.

“So you don't have any powers at all?” Vea asked curiously, remembering the breeze that pushed his voice to her so she could hear it.

“I managed to keep my immortality, but other than that I got nothing. Sorry to disappoint,” Maui turned his back on her, clearly thinking the conversation was finished.

“That's not why I'm disappointed,” Vea snapped, deciding to ignore her questions about the mysterious wind for now. “And I am not looking for magic. I'm looking for information.”

“Does it get exhausting?” Maui asked suddenly, turning back to face her. Vea gave him a quizzical look.

“Does what get exhausting?”

“You're mean, tough girl act,” Maui replied with an air of smugness like he won something. Vea looked at him, her upper lip pulling back into a snarl.

“My island was destroyed. My people have been voyaging for years trying to outrun a darkness that _you_ unleashed. So am I a little short tempered these days? You bet I am. I don't think you are in a position to judge me for it.” Vea tried to step forward again, forgetting the protection stones, and slammed herself into the invisible barrier once more. She screamed in frustration.

Something had come over Maui's expression, a dark and distant look. “You shouldn't talk about things you don't understand,” he said in a low voice.

“Things that _I_ don't understand?” Vea shrieked. “I understand you sacrificed a human girl for power and protection and the entire world is suffering for it. The way I see it, that's all I need to understand.”

“Leave,” Maui growled.

“Not until you tell me what I want to know,” Vea huffed, remembering through her anger what she had come here for in the first place.

“If you want to know the truth, ask me anytime. Until then, you and your favor can leave,” Maui snapped.

“I already know the truth!” Vea yelled and turned her back on him. “You killed a girl and cursed the world.”

“If you know everything then tell me her name,” Maui shouted at her back. Vea stopped and turned back to face him.

“What?” She demanded. She doubted Maui even knew the name of the girl. So why bother asking her?

“Tell. Me. Her. Name,” Maui said slowly, baring his teeth. Vea hesitated for a moment. She had heard the legend at least a hundred times, but never once had someone said the girls name. Only now did that strike her as odd.

“That's what I thought,” Maui said in a low voice. Refusing to beg or barter with him, Vea let out a frustrated groan and started making her way back to her village. If Maui wouldn't help her she would find another way.

 


	8. Worlds Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea confides in Grandma Kana about Maui and her reacting is not what Vea was expecting. Kana reminds Vea of many important lessons. Vea realizes that the path to saving her people may start with Maui.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picking up the pace towards the central story now, I'm very excited I hope everyone likes it!

“Grandma, I need to speak with you,” Vea implored once she had returned to her village.

“You are already speaking to me,” Kana said with a smirk. Vea laid a soft but urgent hand on her grandmothers arm. Kana, sensing a change from her granddaughter's usual wry mood, looked at Vea. “What do you need?” Kana said with gentle seriousness.

“I found something, someone rather, in the forest,” Vea began but she was unsure how to continue. “I thought they could answer my questions about the stars but I was mistaken.” Some of the bitterness she felt towards Maui had leaked into her voice.

“Child, you found someone out there?” Kana repeated in astonishment. “Why didn't you bring them to the village? Are they alone?”

“I saved his life, actually,” Vea mumbled, staring at the ground. “I used one of the leaves from Te Fiti's Tear.”

“He was dying?” Kana exclaimed. “He must be brought here at once so I may examine him.”

“I can't do that,” Vea replied nervously.

“Why on earth not?” Kana demanded.

“Because,” Vea started, but the words became stuck in her throat. She took and deep breath and tried once more. “Because it was Maui.” Kana went very still and quiet. Vea could almost see the thoughts racing through her grandmothers head.

“You're sure it's him?” Kana asked. Vea nodded.

“I saw his tattoos. The hawk, the hook, the woman throwing a baby into the sea, they were all there on his skin. It can't be anyone else,” Vea explained, envisioning the way the ink crawled over his arms, chest, back and thighs in those intricate designs. She was almost disappointed she did not get a closer look at them, they really were magnificent. Even if they did adorn a murderer.

“There is no doubt of it then,” Kana said solemnly. Then she shrugged. “I've never healed a demigod before but how difficult can it be. Go and fetch him.”

“What?” Vea was shocked. This was not at all the reaction she was expecting.

“That's what you want me to do, isn't it?” Kana asked.

“No! I don't want to bring him to the village. Especially not for you to heal him. We have no idea what he is capable of.”

“I imagine without his hook he is less of a threat than you imagine him to be,” Kana said calmly.

“Are you defending him?” Vea demanded.

“Are you condemning him?” Kana countered.

“Why wouldn't I condemn a murderer?” Vea snapped. Kana paused, considering her words carefully. When she did speak, it was in a very calm voice like one might use to soothe a child.

“There are some who believe we do not know all that happened during the battle with Te Ka,” Kana said. “Many were angry and heartbroken on that day. They needed some way to make the terrible fate of the world make sense.” Vea was at a loss for words. The word of legends had always been the word of truth. They were one and the same. For someone, especially Grandma Kana who taught Vea every legend under the sun, to suggest otherwise was more than Vea could wrap her mind around.

“It does not change the fact that the world is dying,” Vea said stiffly.

“No, it does not,” Kana conceded. “But it does matter how it happened. Remember what I've always told you, my child. The key to the future is found by understanding the past.” It was a phrase Vea had heard many times throughout her childhood. It was like the wayfinders. They knew where to go by knowing where they had been. Looking back to go forward.

So if Vea was trying to move forward on a misunderstood past, then she would always be going the wrong way. And as the world slipped away from her, she knew she couldn't afford to go the wrong way any longer. Neither could her people.

“What should I do, Grandma?” She asked, bowing her head and bowing her pride.

“I think you should talk to him,” Kana answered, running her weathered hands through her granddaughters long dark curls.

“He and I are not on good terms,” Vea murmured. “But he is the only one who might know why the stars are different to the east.”

“Well, maybe not,” Kana said. Vea fixed her with a questioning look. “I admit I did not know what the stars meant before. But now that you tell me we share an island with Maui I do believe I know where we are.”

“Where are we?” Vea asked, a pinch of desperation in her voice.

“We are at the end, my dear,” Kana sighed. “Maui was banished to the farthest corner of the world. If he is here, then we must be at the edge of our world.”

“And the unusual stars are the beginning of another,” Vea finished. She wasn't sure if this was a wonderful revelation or a frightening realization. Wonderful or not, there was now only one question on Vea's mind. “Could the darkness spread to other worlds?”

“I do not know,” Kana sighed. “That is a question you'll need to ask your demigod.”

“Oh, please don't call him that,” Vea groaned. “Anyways, I doubt he'll ever speak to me again. Even if I wanted him to.”

“There is only one way to find out, isn't there?” Kana said, her normal mischievous smile back in it's rightful place.

“You're enjoying this aren't you?” Vea said accusingly.

“I enjoy anything that has the potential to teach you something,” Kana replied. “You are a headstrong girl. Which is a very good quality to have. But you have let sorrow into your heart and it has changed you. I believe that finding the truth will help you heal. So, yes, I do think you should return to Maui. Hear his story. Learn from it. Perhaps you may learn how to help us all in the process.”

“Maui did ask me something,” Vea remembered. “While we were arguing,” she added quietly. Kana chuckled.

“And what is that, dear one?”

“He asked me if I knew her name,” Vea said. “The girl who died. I don't know her name, Grandma. Do you?”

“No,” Kana said after a few moments of consideration. “Her name was known once. It caused people pain to speak it so it was lost to time, as many things are.” Vea nodded. It was the same with her mother's name. It pained her father so much to hear it that no one spoke it. Vea worried that it, too, might one day be forgotten.

“I will return to Maui tomorrow,” Vea resolved.

When the sun rose the next morning, she made good on her word. In the light of day, Vea was able to better see how close Maui's cove was to the village. When she arrived at the cove, she could see that he was asleep again. Perhaps Te Fiti's Tear had kept him alive, but it took time for his full strength to return.

Instead of shouting, Vea sat in the sand as close as the protective stones would allow and waited. When Maui did wake, he did not seem surprised to see her. In face, his expression bore no emotion at all. Vea knew she had to be the one to start this.

“Tell me her name,” Vea said calmly, looking into his eyes. She hoped Maui would see no ill will in her. He considered her for a long while. And then he spoke a single word.

“Moana.”

 


	9. Moana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea learns the story of Moana and sees Maui in a new way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a little bit longer to write this chapter. I wanted to make sure it was done right. Hope you like it! Thanks for your support, comments, and kudos!

“Tell me her story,” Vea asked, looking Maui straight in the eye. Godly powers or not he was still an intimidating figure. It would be nothing for him to scoop her up and throw her across the beach if he had a mind to. And the way he looked at her made her think he just might have a mind to.

“Why should I tell you anything?” Maui asked cooly. Vea blinked in surprise.

“Because yesterday you yelled at me for not knowing 'the truth' in the first place,” Vea said with a little more bite than she should have. She bit her bottom lip and cursed her temper.

Maui looked at Vea for a long time. His dark gaze was penetrating, searching, like he was waiting for her to flinch. Vea held fast and met his gaze. Eventually, with a great sigh, he nodded and sat down across from her, just on the inside of the protection stones. Vea remained on the outside. He was silent for a few more moments, gathering his thoughts, deciding where to begin.

“Moana was from an island called Motonui,” Maui began. “She was the daughter of the village chief. When she was a baby, the ocean saw that she was special. When Moana was sixteen years old, with the blessing of her grandmother, the ocean sent her on a journey to restore the heart of Te Fiti. That's why Moana came to find me. How she actually manged to wash up on the tiny island of my exile, neither of us were ever completely sure. The ocean definitely had something to do with it,” Maui smiled sadly.

“She gave me an earful when we met,” he continued. “Literally. She grabbed my ear and tried to drag me onto her boat. I actually tricked her and tried to steal her canoe, but I made the mistake of underestimating her. A mistake I would make several more times before I finally figured out how capable she was. She was not a particularly skilled fighter and a terrible wayfinder, but she was just so determined. If she willed it to happen, it would happen. It might not happen smoothly or sensibly, but it would happen.” Maui's eyes were practically glowing with pride and admiration. He was much more animated now. It was as if telling this story was healing him like medicine. “Almost immediately, we were set upon by a fleet of Kakamora who were trying to steal the heart. I tried to escape but Moana was not about to back down. She took on the whole fleet with nothing but an oar. She made it back with the chicken in one piece.”

“Wait, what chicken?” Vea interrupted.

“Oh yeah, there was a chicken. Dumbest chicken I've ever met. He kept trying to eat the heart,” Maui shook his head and laughed. He actually laughed. Vea was surprised to discover that it wasn't an entirely unpleasant sound. In fact, she wouldn't mind hearing it again. “So Moana got the chicken and the heart back from the Kakmora. She was still hell bent on getting me to Te Fiti, so I made her a deal. If she helped me get my hook back I would restore the heart.”

“I took her to Lalotai. I actually expected her to stay on the canoe but she climbed up the cliff face without hesitation. She actually made it up there before I did. And when I jumped down into the realm of monsters, she followed. She actually saved my life down there. Tamatoa, this nasty little crab thing, nearly had me. I was rusty after not having my hook for so long.” Vea had heard the legends of Tamatoa and his rivalry with Maui. _Nasty little crab thing_ was a massive understatement. Maui was now on his feet, acting out the story as he spoke with dramatic swings and leaps. Vea found herself laughing as she watched him. He reminded her of the boys in her village that played warrior. It was, in a way, charming. She wondered if this is the person Maui had been before, if this was who Moana knew.

“I realized what a remarkable person she was then,” Maui continued. “I taught her how to wayfind properly. She took to it like a natural. That was to be expected though. I used to pull up islands for her ancestors to find. She was practically wayfinding on her own when we reached Te Fiti. When the time came, at last, to restore the heart, I actually believed we were going to be able to pull it off. Then Te Ka erupted from the surrounding islands.” Something dark came over Maui's face. He sat back down on the sand, looking intently at the ground. The light from his eyes had gone once again.

“I wanted to turn back,” he said quietly, his eyes downcast. “I yelled at her to turn back but she refused. She was so sure we could make it. She had faith in us right to the end. I was not fast enough to stop Te Ka. It brought a flaming fist down. I raised my hook to deflect the blow. My hook disintegrated to ash. Our canoe was instantly in splinters. As I was launched into the sky the last thing I saw was Moana slipping beneath the black sea.”

Vea was surprised to feel a tear slide down her cheek. She dabbed it away quickly so Maui would not see. She did not doubt the truth in his story. How could she when his emotions were so palpable? “How can you bear to still be here after losing so much?” She asked in a soft voice.

'Because I choose to stay,” Maui said tensely. The lively, jovial Maui Vea suspected was the true Maui had vanished behind a mask of stone and suffering. It was like talking to a living statue. Cold and jagged.

“Why stay in a cursed world when you don't have to?” As a demigod, Maui could easily travel to other realms, realms of gods. He had the ability Vea would give anything for. He could escape. And he was giving it up for...sentimentality?

“I'm still here because no one remembers her and that isn't right. She was the real hero. She deserves to be immortalized in the legends. You can call me a murderer. I did not sacrifice her, but I failed her and she died because of me. You can call me a coward. I should have tried as hard as she did. You can call me whatever foul name you can think of. It doesn't matter. What matters is that her story is told and that it is told right. And I am not leaving this world until I do that. She was my best friend. Probably the only real friend I ever had. She deserves that much.”

“That,” Vea started. But her voice caught in her throat, which was suddenly thick with an emotion she had forgotten the name of some time ago. “That is very noble of you. She was lucky to have you as a friend.”

“Some friend I was,” Maui scoffed bitterly. “She didn't get to go home. Her mother and father never saw her again. And that is all because of me. I should have protected her. Better yet, I should have talked her out of going and returned the heart myself.”

“The way you describe her makes me believe that there was no way you could have talked her out of going,” Vea said. Maui was silent, lost in his own memories. She recognized the pain in his expression. It was the same pain she felt in her heart whenever she thought of her mother. It was a grief that would never fully go away. Vea rose to her feet and stood before Maui.

“Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea, I was wrong. I apologize for my mistake,” Vea said bowing her head slightly. Maui looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. With a small smile on his lips, he bent his head to knowledge and accept her apology. Vea breathed a sigh of relief. It felt as if a stone had been lifted off her chest, the comforting liberation of truth.

“I'm Vea, by the way,” she added, feeling unexpectedly shy. She tentatively extended a hand to him. It was not exactly a gesture of friendship, Vea was not prepared for that yet. It was a gesture of starting over. Maui stared at her hand. For a moment, Vea was afraid he would reject her offering. But he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Nice to meet you Vea,” he said. Vea felt some of weight of the bitterness and spite she had been carrying with her for years break away.

“Would you tell me the part about Tamatoa again?” Vea asked with a wry smile. Talking about Moana was definitely a healing experience. But Maui seemed most alive when he was describing his battles in Lalotai. And Vea, always hungry for more stories, was than willing to be his excuse to talk about his past adventures. “Why did you rip of his leg?”

Maui looked up at her, surprised. Then he smiled back.

“Well if there is anything you need to know about that slimy bottom feeder...”

 


	10. The Water Waifs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maui and Vea face off against some of the oceans darkest creatures, the Water Waifs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, the sass is real. Hope you enjoy!

Vea was first aware that her body was moving. Second, she was aware that her eyes were closed. In burst of confusion, she shot her body forward. She opened her eyes just in time to see the sandy ground as she flopped onto it.

“What happened?” She asked groggily. There was a fair amount of sand in her hair and plastered to the side of her face. It was now nighttime. Maui had lit a fire in the pit. She scooted closer to it to warm her frigid hands. She was shivering so hard her teeth were starting to chatter. She clenched her jaw so Maui would not notice.

“You fell asleep,” came Maui's voice from above her. “I was trying to carry you inside the protection ring without waking you up.”

“The last thing I remember is you telling me a story about a giant kelp monster,” Vea recalled, suppressing a yawn. She remembered the soothing way he spoke and how easily she became swept up in his epics. She must have laid down at some point and drifted off. She noticed that Maui's eyes kept darting around her, only making eye contact with her for a few seconds at a time. She was suddenly very self concious, especially of her eyes. What if Maui shared Waata's beliefs that she was cursed. “Why are you so twitchy?” She asked, wincing as the words came out much more defensive than she meant them to. But Maui did not seem to notice.

“Hypothetical question, if I were to say _don't_ turn around are you the sort of person who would immediately turn around?”

“Most definitely,” Vea answered without hesitation. She breathed a sigh of relief that his strange demeanor had nothing to do with her eyes.

“In that case,” Maui paused for a moment, considering his next words. “Turn around.”

“So by saying turn around you actually mean don't turn around. So I'm just going to...,” Vea said smugly as she quickly pivoted on her heel. She immediately wished she hadn't. Up and down the beach and in the shallows were the most ghoulish women Vea had ever seen. There were at least a dozen slowly making their way toward her and Maui. The unbalanced, shuffling way they walked indicated that they were much more at home in the water. Their skin was shimmery and silvery-blue like the inside of an abalone shell. Their eyes were hollow and black, like dull stones. Their lips only partially covered their teeth, which were needle thin and, Vea imagined, viciously sharp. Dripping of those needle thin teeth and onto their chins was the same thick substance Vea saw seeping from the mark on Maui's neck when she first found him.

“Are those Water Waifs?” Vea asked, slowly backing farther under the rocky overhang of Maui's shelter. No one knew exactly what they were or where they came from. But they were always women, they were always violent, and their bite was deadly. Vea could not believe she had forgotten about them.

“Yes,” he replied seriously.

“How can they be here? This is not their realm.” Vea did not know what else to do, so she just stared wide eyed at the approaching creatures. They were monsters of Lalotai. She hoped the runes on the stones created a strong enough barrier to keep them out.

“When Te Fiti disappeared the veils that separated one realm from another were torn. The creatures of Lalotai can come to this realm. And who knows what sort of creatures are flooding in from other realms. It's amazing your fleet wasn't attacked by anything for all the time you were on the sea.”

“Yeah, we are so lucky,” Vea said dryly. “So...what do we do?”

“We hope the stones hold out,” Maui said. Vea looked at him, eyes wide with exasperation.

“That's your plan?” She cried.

“Do you have a better one?” Maui challenged. “Any gems of wisdom you can pull from your vast monster battling experiences?”

“That tone your using is the exact opposite of helpful,” Vea snapped, her gaze flickering from one Water Waif to the next. The closest one was only ten feet from the edge of the ring. If she was going to come up with something she had to do it fast. She quickly scanned Maui's campsite for anything she could use as a weapon.

“No, you are the exact opposite of helpful,” Maui countered. Vea groaned inwardly. There was absolutely nothing useful in his campsite. The spears leading against the rock face were poorly made and not nearly long enough to reach the Water Waifs from inside the protective circle.

Vea eyed the fire pit. Like the one in her village, it was mostly made from lava rocks. Before she could think about it too much, Vea ran up to the fire pit and grabbed a lava rock the size of her fist. It was not blisteringly hot but it was very near.

As quickly as she could, she ran to the edge of the protective circle and hurled the stone at the closest Water Waif. It shrieked in pain and outrage as the jagged rock hit it's shoulder. It's iridescent skin blistered from the heat.

“And that is what I would call a better plan,” she said to Maui with an exaggerated air of smugness. “Now pick up a rock. I bet I can hit more than you.” Maui was looking at her with a mix of awe and deep concern. His mouth hung open.

“Why is it that whenever I get to know any of you human females you are always completely insane?” He muttered as he picked up a rock from the fire pit. He chucked it at a Water Waif so hard that when the rock made contact, the Waif flew back into the water. “Moana wasn't nearly as violent, though. Well, not towards anything other than the kakamora.” Maui said as Vea threw another rock. Vea grinned triumphantly when her rock found the face of a Water Waif.

“Everyone needs an outlet,” Vea said with a shrug. “It looks like mine is hitting monsters with rocks.”

“There are worse things,” Maui said in agreement as he launched another lava rock. But as it turns out, the rocks were only a temporary solution. The burns they inflicted were easily remedied by a dip in the ocean. Vea and Maui would soon run out of rocks from the fire pit.

“So where's your next bright idea?” Maui prompted, flinging the last rock into the stomach of a shrieking Water Waif.

“It's your turn to come up with something,” Vea replied. Maui could distinctly hear a quiver in her voice even though she was trying to hide it. She was nervous. Maui stepped closer to her and rested his massive hand on her shoulder.

“Whatever happens, you're going to get out of this, okay?” He said gently. Vea forced herself to look away from the encroaching monsters and up into Maui's eyes. They were kind and warm. She forced herself to nod. Though his words and his presence were reassuring, Vea's own life was not her main concern. If the Water Waifs were, in fact, strong enough to push past the protection ring, how would her people defend themselves?

Suddenly, about twenty feet off shore, the ocean began to move very strangle. It started to swirl like a whirlpool but instead of sinking in on itself, it rose up in a spire. The rising water looked different too. It looked like it was glowing from within but Vea couldn't see a source. It rose higher and higher like a beacon. The Water Waifs instantly stopped their attack on Maui and Vea and turned to the ocean. They returned to the water as if it had called them. As quickly as the spire had appeared, it collapsed back down and the ocean was still again. Vea felt goosebumps crawl over her skin.

“What was that?” Vea asked in amusement.

“That was an old friend of mine,” Maui chuckled. “That was the ocean.” Vea stood still for a moment, trying to wrap her mind around everything that had happened in the last twelve hours. And then she broke into a run.

“Where are you going?” Maui called out in alarm. He looked uncertain, like he was afraid she was running from him.

“I'm going back to the village,” she said urgently.

“Let me walk you back,” Maui broke into a jog to catch up to her. “In case those things come back.”

“No thanks,” she called over her shoulder, hair streaming out behind her. To his relief, Maui saw that she was smiling. “I have a story I have to tell my people.”

 


	11. Amending Legends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea brings the legend of Moana to her people, who have mixed feelings, especially when Maui shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me a few days to update. I've felt just plain crappy these past few days. And I had two ideas of where the story could go so I had to test both of them out and see which one worked better and that took some time too. Thanks for your patience, I hope you enjoy! My updates should go back to their usual frequency.

It was not as late as Vea had originally thought it was. When she returned to her village she found that nearly every one was sitting around the fire pit.

“Where have you been, Vea?” Came her fathers booming voice. His arms where folded across the broad expanse of his chest. His perpetual scowl was a little deeper than normal. Even Kana was looking at her with concern. Many of the other villagers also expressed their concern and confusion. Several avoided eye contact with her.

“I have a story to tell,” she simply said. Everyone immediately turned their heads in interest. Even Chief Ahohako withheld the lecture he had surely prepared for Vea. Kana, Itu and some of the other elders motioned for everyone to come closer. Vea suddenly felt nervous. There was a good chance that no one would like her story, or think she had lost her mind. But she had to tell this story. Vea still did not know how she felt about Maui but he was right about one thing, Moana deserved to be remembered.

“This is the story of a girl named Moana,” Vea began. She told the story exactly as Maui had told it to her. She even acted out the parts, moving about has he did. Vea was thrilled to see that many of the villagers, especially the children were listening with delight. That is, until Vea got to the part where Maui and Moana were defeated by Te Ka.

She was, after all, challenging the truth of a story they had all grown up with. The legend that caused the endless wandering of the last three years. In a world wrought with uncertainly, Vea was adding more to it.

“What proof do you have of this?” Waata asked with a strong air of disbelief. Vea had to make an effort to not roll her eyes.

“The story was told to me yesterday by someone who was there first hand,” Vea answered. She knew the answer would not satisfy anyone but she did not want to tell everyone that Maui was living on this island. At least not yet. The people of Moali'i had always been relatively peaceful people. But, in the face of the unknown, Vea did not want to risk anyone turning to violence. Her eyes drifted back to Waata as she considered this.

“Vea, where exactly did you go yesterday?” Chief Ahohako asked with a suspicious look. Vea took a deep breath. She could see that she did not have a choice.

“I don't want anyone to feel alarmed or threatened. I am convinced that he is no threat to us,” Vea began. Chief Ahohako slowly rose to his feet.

“Vea, who told you that story?” He said in a low, angry voice.

“Maui,” came Kana's voice in an awed whisper. Vea looked at her grandmother in amazement.

“Did you know the whole time?” She asked. Kana shook her head.

“No. I had a hunch,” Kana replied. She was the only one of the villagers that seemed calm. Before Vea could ask what she meant, Kana continued. “It would appear that we have a guest.” Vea watched the expressions change on the faces of the villagers. Wide eyes, gaping mouths, scowls, glares, furrowed brows, fearful eyes. When Vea looked behind her she already knew what she would find.

Maui stood just beyond the light of the fire, his dark eyes fixed on Vea. He must have followed her back to the village. By the look on his face he had heard her entire story.

She approached him slowly, much to the horror of her people.

“Did I do an okay job?” She asked, searching his face.

“You told her story perfectly,” Maui said, smiling past the tears in his eyes. Vea breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Then, much to her surprise, Maui bent down and wrapped his arms around her small frame. And, even more surprising, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him back.

“Everyone, my I present Maui, demigod of the wind and sea,” Vea said, leading Maui closer to the fire pit. Many of the villagers backed away as Maui came closer, which did not go unnoticed by Maui. He immediately stopped moving forward. “It was Maui who told me the legend of Moana.”

“Why should we believe anything he says?” Waata demanded. Vea noticed that he had grabbed a spear.

“Because I believe him,” Vea hissed.

“You don't believe in anything,” Leali, one of Vea's cousins and Waata's wife, snapped. Her words stung, but Vea tried not to let it show.

“I believe in the truth when it is right in front of me,” Vea countered. Maui placed a hand on her shoulder, anchoring her.

“The truth is that Maui is a murderer. He's going to kill us all!” Waata shouted. A few of the villagers echoed his sentiment. Vea narrowed her eyes.

“Watch your tongue,” she snarled. She didn't even realize she had taken a step forward until Maui put his arm in front of her.

“Maui is not a murderer,” Kana's voice calmly rose above the angry din. She stepped forward to stand beside Vea and Maui. “Murder leaves it's mark on the soul. If he had that mark he would not have made it past the protection stones. Maui does not mean us any harm.” Kana then took Maui's hand in her own and favored him with a reassuring smile.

“Can I say something?” Maui said, startling all of the villagers. “I'm not asking any of you to like me or worship me. I am not asking for anything at all. Vea found me on the brink of death. It's because of her that I am standing here now. I told her the tale of Moana because I knew she would do the right thing and spread the truth as far as she could. That's all I want. I will never return to this village if that is what you want.”

“That is what we want,” Waata shouted angrily. Some of the villagers echoed his demanded but Vea noticed that it was fewer than before. Many were now looking at Maui with curiosity rather than fear or anger. Maui nodded his head.

“Then I will leave,” he said solemnly. He turned to Vea. “Thank you for everything you have done for me. I will never forget it.”

“Maui, you aren't leaving,” Vea said sternly but then a wry smile spread across her lips. “You still owe me a favor.” Maui smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“I suppose I do,” he agreed. “What is your wish?”

“I want you to tell me,” Vea began, “to tell us, about those stars.” She pointed to the southern sky, at the strange stars. Maui looked up and frowned slightly, pondering for a moment. After several nights on the island, many of the villagers had also noticed the foreign stars.

“Does he really know what the stars mean?” a young woman asked another.

“I do,” Maui answered. He looked down at Vea. “I think you know too.”

“So they truly are the stars of another world?” Vea asked, looking up at the sky in wonder.

“Yes,” Maui said. The villagers gasped before erupting with questions.

“What sort of world is it?”

“Is it safe?”

“Can we reach it?”

“Can the darkness reach it?”

“I suppose there is only one way to find out,” Maui said with a shrug as he turned to Chief Ahohako. “I'm going to need to borrow a canoe.”

 

 


	12. The Water Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maui has a plan that makes Vea uneasy. Vea meets a spirit of the ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwww yeah two updates in one night. Enjoy!

“Maui, you can't be serious,” Vea ran down the beach as Maui carried a canoe on one arm down to the ocean.

“I am serious,” he called over his shoulder. “I'll sail to the veil between worlds and see what's on the other side. If it's safe, I'll come back and we will plan a voyage to take everyone over. I don't understand what's so shocking about that.”

“Because it's insane!” Vea exclaimed. She ran in front of him and threw her hands out to stop him from going any further. Her hands met the solid wall of muscle that was his chest and she nearly tumbled backwards.

“Did you really think that was going to work?” Maui smirked. Vea rolled her eyes and jogged to keep pace beside him.

“I assumed that you would recognize the urgency of my gesture and stop. Not plow into me,” she grumbled. Maui laughed and set the canoe down so it was half on the beach half on the water.

“Look, Vea, there are many worlds besides this one. Nearly all of them are hidden from the mortal realm. This world must be so broken that it's reveling entrances to other worlds. Now, I may not have my hook anymore and I may not have my powers but I am still a demigod. And it is a lot easier for a demigod to slip under the veils of one world and into another. Most mortals cannot pass between worlds unless they are dying. I will go to the other world and I will make whatever is over there agrees to allow your village safe passage.”

“Then take me with you,” Vea demanded, holding her chin high. Maui smiled softly at her.

“Didn't you hear anything I just said?” He said. He cupped her chin gently in one massive hand. “It will only take a few days and I will come back. That is a promise.” He winked. Vea felt her stomach do a strange flip that hurt and tickled at the same time.

Maui pushed off from the beach and caught the wind in his sail. Vea was tempted to jump into the ocean and swim after him but he had already picked up speed. He turned back to face her as the canoe leaped over breaker after breaker.

“By the way,” he called to her. “You have beautiful eyes.” Normally, when anyone mentioned her eyes, Vea's insides writhed like a dozen furious snaked. But when Maui said it, she felt herself blushing. He waved and she waved back. She watched him until the blackness of the night sky and the darkness of the sea swallowed him up.

“Okay, now snap out of it,” she chided herself when the warmth would not leave her face. “Charming bastard,” she muttered.

Vea made her way back to the village slowly. She didn't want to answer everyone's questions just yet. She needed a moment to gather herself so the villagers wouldn't see how worried she really was. But before long, she heard people calling her name. No doubt her father had sent a few villagers down to the beach to make sure Maui hadn't stolen her away as another sacrifice.

“I'm here!” She called, pushing through some large leaves to reach the clearing.

“Did he go?” Chief Ahohako asked. Vea nodded.

“Did he steal our canoe, is a more realistic question,” Waata sneered.

“He is doing something selfless for all of you,” Vea snapped. Her temper was wriggling beyond her control, like a white hot snake in her belly. “He might die trying to prove to you people that he isn't who you think he is.”

“Or he tricked a silly girl with a pretty story,” Waata replied, a nasty smile spreading across his face.

“That silly girl is the future Chief of this village and you will speak to her with respect or answer to me.” Chief Ahohako intervened, scowling at Waata. Vea looked at him in dismay. It had always been a unspoken reality that the world would not survive long enough for Vea to become Chief. But to say something like that meant that her father must have hope.

“You believe Maui?” Vea asked, brightening.

“I would not have given him a canoe if I didn't,” Chief Ahohako smiled kindly at his daughter. Waata bowed his head and gave his apologies, which sounded less than sincere. Vea nodded to him in return. She suddenly felt through out her body just how tired she was. Every limb felt twenty pounds heavier. She excused herself, bid goodnight to her father and grandmother Kana, and returned to her hut. She laid down, leaving space for her father and grandmother when they decided to sleep. Her eyes were closed before her head hit the woven mat she slept on.

She did not know how long she had been asleep when her eyes sprang open. Her father and Grandma Kana were in the hut, breathing deeply as they slept. Vea blinked and rubbed her eyes.

What had awoken her so abruptly from her sleep was the light that was completely illuminating the inside of her hut, making the walls turn blue as if they were beneath the sea and sunlight was streaming down on them. After a few more strong blinks, Vea's eyes were acclimated enough to realize that the source of the light was coming from outside.

“Maui,” Vea heard herself murmur as she carefully stepped over her sleeping family. She knew it was impossible for Maui to be back already. He had only been gone a few hours when the voyage would certainly take days. Vea tried to ignore the knot of anxiety that formed in her stomach when she thought about it.

It looked as though the light was coming from the beach. Vea quickly made her way across the clearing, through the brush, and down to the sandy coastline. The whole beach was bathed in that same glowing blue light. There was something in the water causing it, Vea could see clearly. She just could not see _what_ it was. It reminded her of the way the ocean glowed when it twisted itself up into a spire and beckoned the Water Waifs.

Vea froze with apprehension, afraid that the Water Waifs would appear any minute, drawn to the light like they had been before. Cursing herself for her stupidity, Vea began very slowly making her way back up the beach.

“Wait,” a soft voice said from the water. It sounded like it had come from the very center of the glowing light. Vea stared in awe as the ocean lifted itself up, the glowing light held in the center. “Don't be afraid.” The tower of water seemed to split in two. One pillar, quickly loosing it's glow, collapsed back into the rest of the ocean, the other, still glowing, pillar moved towards the shore.

When it reached the line where the sand met the sea, Vea expected it to stop. But it did not. Instead, it began to shift its form. A foot touched the sand, a leg followed. Soon an arm, a torso, and a head were visible until Vea found herself staring at a girl made entirely from water, glowing brightly in the night.

“Hello, Vea,” the water girl said. “I am Moana.”

 


	13. Moana's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea has a chance to talk to Moana, and Moana has a crazy plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if anyone is curious about the direction this story is going to take, it's pretty much laid out here for ya. Enjoy!

Vea stared in awe at the water spirit before her. It was very clearly the form of a young girl, perhaps younger than Vea. Vea could make out the shape of her long, thick hair and a crown made of shells. She and Vea were about the same height, but the girl, Moana, was much more muscular and toned. Vea was thin after years of limited food. Moana stared at her with large eyes that sparkled like the sea. Her skin, her hair, even her clothing blended together into one shape made completely of rippling, glowing water. Vea saw the shape of a necklace at the girls throat, just like the one Maui described.

“I don't understand,” Vea said tentatively stepping closer to the water spirit.

“This is probably a lot to take in,” Moana replied sheepishly. Vea was surprised at how normal she sounded. “Do you need a moment or can I start explaining? If you need a moment I understand but I'm pretty limited on time.”

“By all means, please start explaining,” Vea nodded, nearly choking on her disbelief. Every time she thought she had a solid grasp on reality, something happened to throw her whole world off its axis. First it was the darkness, then a demigod, and now this. Perhaps Vea was actually going insane.

“I heard you telling my story to your village,” Moana began. “So first I want to say thank you.”

“I just can't believe it's really you. After Maui first told me your story, I wished I could have known you,” Vea said.

“Well we actually did meet once before,” Moana said, running her foot across the sand. It left no mark.

“We did?” Vea replied in astonishment. “That's not possible, you died over one hundred years ago.”

“You sort of hit me in the face with a rock the other day,” Moana said with a wince. Vea looked at Moana with skepticism. She would have remembered hitting a water spirit in the face with a rock. In fact, she's only hit one creature in the face with a rock and it was...

“You were one of the Water Waifs?” Vea gasped. That simply could not be. There was no way the brave and determined Moana from the legend could have become such a gruesome creature.

“Yes, that was me,” Moana said sadly.

“Why don't you look like one now?” Vea asked.

“I borrowed power from a friend of mine,” Moana replied. “The ocean and I have a very special relationship. She lent me some of her magic so I could take this form and speak to you. But it won't last forever.”

“How did you become a Water Waif?” Vea asked gently, assuming it was a subject of great sensitivity.

“When a woman dies at sea without completing her life's purpose, she can become a Water Waif. I failed my task so that is my fate.”

“I am so sorry,” Vea said sincerely. “Does Maui know?”

“No, he has no idea,” Moana said quickly. “That's why I came to speak to you instead of him.”

“But he's tormented with guilt over what happened to you. He blames himself. The entire world blames him too.”

“I know,” Moana said sorrowfully. “But he can't know what I've become. If he knows, he'll blame himself even more,”

“And that will crush him,” Vea finished.

“Exactly,” Moana nodded. “I don't want him to suffer anymore. He does not deserve that.”

“You should go to him,” Vea said. “I think it would mean a lot for him to see you again.” Moana smiled, almost mischievously.

“Oh, I plan on it. But I will not be able to recreate this form again. It drains too much of my borrowed power. But he will know I am there. Someone has to keep an eye on him,” she chuckled. Vea felt herself smile.

“I tried to go with him,” she said in mock defense. “But what I don't understand is, if you can only appear in this form once, why did you appear before me?”

“Because it was very important for you to believe you were talking to me,” Moana answered. “What I have to tell you is very important and I could not risk you not believing it. So please, listen carefully. I don't know if I'll be able to communicate with you this directly again.”

“I'm listening,” Vea prompted.

“When Maui passes through the veil to the other world, he will find that he can pass without difficultly but mortals are unable to pass. However, there is a way to build a bridge between the worlds so your people can cross. Now, both of Te Fiti's physical forms were destroyed but-”

“Both forms?” Vea interrupted. “What do you mean?”

“I did not know this at the time, but I learned shortly after I passed into the spirit world. Te Ka and Te Fiti were one and the same. When she lost her heart, she became something that was not herself. Te Ka was made of lava, so when she fell into the ocean she hardened. Her fire went out. The island sunk beneath the sea.”

“So Te Fiti is dead?” Vea said in horror. If the mother goddess was gone then there really was no hope for this world.

“No, she still exists in her spirit form. But she is weakened without her heart. But another part of her survived, well two parts if we are being exact. The Eyes of Te Fiti.”

“Her eyes? I've never heard any legends of her eyes,” Vea said.

“After her heart was stolen, Te Fiti kept her eyes a secret so no one would try to steal them,” Moana explained. “Her eyes have the power to find things that were once lost. Including each other. I believe that if Maui carries one eye to the new world and you hold one eye here, a path would open. You and Maui can keep the path open while your people cross.”

“You believe?” Vea said slowly.

“Yes, it's never actually been done before but I do believe it is possible,” Moana said desperately. “You need to at least try.”

“But I don't know where the eyes are,” Vea exclaimed.

“One is on this island,” Moana said in a matter of fact tone. Vea blinked in surprise.

“That...is oddly convenient,” she said.

“I did not just think this up overnight. I have known one of the Eyes of Te Fiti was hidden here for many years. I just needed someone to find it. As soon as your people started voyaging toward this island, I asked the ocean to make sure you all arrived alive. Lalotai has collapsed. It wasn't pure luck that kept the monsters at bay.”

“Oh,” Vea said surprised. Now that she thought about it, it did make sense. The voyage from the last island to this one had been strangely easy. Hardly any storms, fair weather. “Well, thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Moana smirked, as if she was laughing at a joke. “And it is no coincidence that Maui is here too. But he has no idea about the Eyes. What good would it do for him to know without anyone to use the other eye?”

“So me meeting Maui was not random either?” Vea asked, her head spinning with all of this new information. Moana winced again.

“Well, sort of. I never intended for him to get bitten by a Water Waif. It is hard for them to resist feeding on something so powerful. But when he was bitten, I drew your attention to the forest so you would find him. So in the end, it all worked out.”

“So you made the wind carry his voice to me,” Vea realized. “But he almost died!”

“But he didn't,” Moana replied. “Because of you. I did not expect you two to get on with such a rocky start. But that really isn't the point.”

“You're right,” Vea agreed, pushing aside her deep desire to argue. It would not do her any good. “You said that only one Eye is on the island. Where is the other one?”

“I...don't actually know,” Moana admitted. “But one eye can find the other. They belong together so when they are separated, they fight to be reunited.”

“How poetic,” Vea said dully. “How does it work?”

“There is an underwater cave system beneath the pond where you found Te Fiti's Tear,” Moana explained. “You and Maui must go there together. When you find the eye you must both touch it. No one else but you and Maui can touch the Eyes. If more people touch the Eyes, the Eyes won't know which host to look for when you try to create the bridge. The Eye you find will lead you to the other.”

“What if it is across the sea? We cannot voyage or else we will be swallowed by the darkness,” Vea exclaimed.

“I know,” Moana said calmly. “That's why I am giving you this.” She reached for her neck and unfastened the necklace she wore. She held it out to Vea in her liquid hand. Vea reached for it tentatively. It felt like a cool, wet stone. Once Moana pulled away, the necklace transformed into two abalone shells fastened together on a fiber band decorated with black pearls.

“Open the shell,” Moana instructed. Vea did as she was told and found that the dished abalone shell contained a cluster of small round objects that looked similar to pearls, but each one was blue and glowing. They looked like the ocean contained in a bead.

“They are beautiful,” Vea breathed. “What are they?”

“They will allow you to travel beneath the surface of the ocean to find the second Eye,” Moana explained.

“Wait, you want us to voyage _under_ the sea instead of over it?” Vea said slowly. It sounded completely insane and impossible.

“Exactly,” Moana smiled. “Now you know everything you need to know. So if you'll excuse me.”

“But-” Vea tried but Moana was already stepping back into the ocean, her form becoming less solid with every step.

“I have to make sure Maui gets back in one piece,” Moana looked back at Vea with a smile. “Besides, I have a gift for him that I think he will like very much.” And with a laugh she was gone. Vea stood alone on the beach, holding the necklace. The ocean lapped against the sand gently as if nothing had ever happened.

 

 


	14. Blue Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grandma Kana tells Vea and important story about her strange eyes as Vea anxiously waits for Maui to return from the other world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tbh this is not at all where I expected this chapter to go. I sat down to write it and Grandma Kana started talking and gave me this idea. I figured that if Grandma Kana was going to talk then I better shut up and let her do her thing. And I think it turned out quiet nice. I never pictured Vea specifically with blue eyes but I did want her to have a feature that was distinctly different from Moana. And eyes are a pretty big theme in this story....  
> Hope y'all like it!  
> NOTE: I DID NOT LIKE HOW I JUST RANDOMLY THREW IN THAT VEA HAS BLUE EYES SO I WENT BACK THROUGH THE ENTIRE STORY AND MADE A FEW SLIGHT CHANGES TO MAKE THE WHOLE THING FLOW A LITTLE MORE SMOOTHLY WITH A LITTLE MORE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. THE PLOT HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES SO THERE'S NO NEED TO REREAD ANYTHING. BUT YOU CAN IF YOU WANT :)

Three days had passed and Maui had not yet returned. While she had faith that Moana would keep her word and make sure he returned safely, Vea's nerves were shattered. More than once she had found herself walking towards the little pond in the jungle. She would stop herself, tell herself that she needed to wait for Maui before finding the first eye and force herself to walk back to the village.

She did not tell her people about the Eyes or that she had seen the spirit of Moana. The last thing she wanted was someone from her village to search for the Eye and bring the burden of their survival down on themselves. Grandma Kana definitely noticed the change in her granddaughter's behavior.

“I brought you some breakfast,” she said gently as she sat down next to Vea, who had been sitting on the beach since dawn. She had Moana's necklace in her hands. She gently turned it over and over running her finger tips over the smooth texture of the shell. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon.

“I'm not very hungry, Grandma,” Vea replied, unblinking.

“I worry about you,” Kana sighed, reaching up to tuck a strand Vea's long hair behind her ear. “You've been restless sine we came to this island, but this has gotten out of hand. Do you even sleep?”

“I feel sick to my stomach when I lie down,” Vea said quietly. “When I close my eyes all I can think about is Maui never coming back. And if he doesn't come back what will happen to our people?” Vea's throat was pinched with sudden emotion. She closed her eyes and took steady breathes until she regained composure.

“I am going to tell you a story,” Kana said in a tone that Vea knew all too well.

“Grandma, please don't. You know I don't like that story,” Vea pleaded. She despised the story she knew her Grandma was about to tell. She despised it so much that she had prevented Grandma Kana from telling it for three years.

“Be quiet. You need to hear it again,” Grandma Kana scolded. She was the one person who could make Vea hold her tongue. “Back in the days when voyaging was as common as breathing, a young girl came to my island,” Kana continued. Vea did not have the energy to protest a second time. Instead she continued to stare at the horizon and tried to drown out her Grandma's voice. “She came with her father and many others but she stood out. You know why?” Kana paused but Vea remained stubbornly silent. “Because she had blue eyes,” Kana pressed on.

“No one in my village had ever seen anyone with blue eyes before. They looked just like the sea. Everyone was drawn to this girl instantly. She was warm, kind, and incredibly clever. Everyone expected amazing and special things from this girl. Now, I will tell you, this girl did not slay any monsters or embark on any incredible adventures. But she did do something truly incredible.”

“She fell in love,” Vea whispered. Try as she might she couldn't shut out Grandma Kana's story, she simply could not. Especially this story.

“That's right. She fell in love with my son and she gave me the most precious gift I could ever ask for. She gave me a little girl with blue eyes,” Kana ran her hand down Vea's hair. Vea never liked to think about her eyes. She avoided looking into any sort of reflective surface, especially since her mother was lost to the darkness. But even when her mother was alive, Vea did not like her eyes. People saw her eyes and expected her to be like her mother. Her mother was wonderful, thoughtful, sweet, and loved by all. Vea never saw any of those qualities in herself. But now she realized, that her blue eyes were the only thing of her mothers left in the world. It made her think differently.

“She gave you her blue eyes and her power to do amazing things,” Kana finished, smiling at Vea. “So whatever is coming your way, you will be able to handle it with a sharp mind and an unshakable will. Just like your mother handled everything that came her way.” Vea bit her bottom lip and stared at the sand for a long while. Then she turned and threw her arms around her grandmother.

“Thank you, Grandma,” Vea said with a slight sniffle. She rapidly blinked awake the tears in her eyes. When her vision cleared again, she noticed a shape on the horizon. All at once the world came crashing back down.

“Grandma, what is that?” Vea asked her voice filling with dread. She already knew what it was. It was the canoe Maui had borrowed from the village. And it was empty. Vea felt the world spin on its axis as she stared at the empty boat. “No, no, no, no, no,” she whispered over and over. This could not be. Moana said she would protect him. She promised that Maui would return safely.

She was so focused on the empty boat that she did not see the massive bird flying directly at her until it was practically on top of her. She screamed and tried to duck as the bird wrapped his talons around a piece of her hair and tugged on it. Not enough to cause any pain, but enough to make her look away from the water.

Vea screamed in frustration at the bird as it swooped around and headed out to sea. Now, Vea could see that it was a hawk. An absolutely giant hawk that was soaring right for the boat. Then, with a flash of blue light, the hawk transformed. Maui stood on the deck of the canoe with a broad smile on his face and his fish hook grasped firmly in his hands.

“Maui!” Vea shouted. She ran into the white wash and dove into the ocean. She swam out to him as fast as her legs could kick. When she reached the canoe, Maui lifted her on board as if she weighed nothing. Vea threw her arms around his neck, shutting her eyes tight. Maui folded his arms around her and held her tight, careful not to squeeze too hard.

“You were worried about me,” Maui accused. She could hear the laughter in his voice. She felt it vibrate through his broad chest. She felt his sun warmed skin and could smell the sea salt in his hair.

“Not one bit,” Vea said, smiling against his neck. “I barely noticed you were gone.”

 


	15. Maui's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea fills Maui in on her visit with Moana. Maui shares what he knows about the other world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shark head.   
> ALSO if you didn't see the blurb on the last chapter, I went back through the story and changed a few things. Nothing too major, the plot isn't affected. I just added some more details and fleshed out the characters a little bit more and gave a little more context to Vea's eyes in the earlier chapters. I think the whole story reads smoother now.   
> As always, thanks for reading.

It was several moments before Maui released Vea. Not that Vea was complaining. Her heart was still pumping with adrenaline, making her a little giddy. When she realized Maui was no longer holding on to her, she swiftly whacked him in the arm.

“You scared me half to death!” She cried. Maui threw his head back and laughed.

“What can I say? I've always had a taste for the dramatic,” he replied, fixing Vea with a smoldering gaze and brilliant smile. Vea felt a blush creeping up to her cheeks.

“You got your hook back,” she said, quickly changing the subject.

“I did! And you'll never believe how I got it back,” he said, weighing the hook in his hand and beaming with pride. He looked like a child that had just received a present.

“Tell me,” Vea prompted even though she had a pretty good idea of how he had reacquired his magical hook.

“It's going to sound a little nutty,” he began. “The day after I left I noticed a dolphin following me. I figured it was trailing me just to play in the wake of the canoe for a little bit but it stayed with me right up until I crossed the veil into the other world. And when I cross back, the dolphin was still there but it had my hook in its mouth. I know it sounds crazy. If you came to me with a story like this I would probably call you crazy. But this dolphin...I swear it was-” Maui was speaking so fast he was short of breath. And he seemed to be having difficulty figuring out how to end his thought.

“Moana,” Vea finished for him. “The dolphin was the spirit of Moana.”

“How did you know that's what I was going to say?” Maui asked, clearly taken by surprise.

“She came to see me too,” Vea said, pulling Moana's necklace from the pouch in her fiber skirt. Maui stared at it as if it were a long lost best friend but also as if it were a persistent demon. Which, Vea supposed, it was.

“I have a lot to tell you,” she said. They were nearly to shore. Everyone in the village had spilled onto the beach to welcome Maui back. “But I think it would be best if I told you in private.”

“Sure thing,” Maui agreed. “Now hang on. We have a grand entrance to make.”

“What?” Vea said, surprised. Maui wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. He beamed and waved at the villagers on shore like he was very much accustomed to this kind of attention.

“You owe me for this,” Vea muttered to him, rolling her eyes. She decided to let him have this moment. It had been a long time since Maui had gotten a warm reception from mortals. Vea did not want to take that away from him. And everyone looked so happy to see him.

Well, almost everyone. As Vea stepped onto shore, she noticed Waata and a small handful of men from the village hanging back in the shadow of the tree line. They were scowling, especially Waata who had brought his spear down to the beach.

“I must admit, I am very glad you did not steal out canoe,” Chief Ahohako booming voice drew Vea's attention back to Maui and the rest of the villagers. He was not smiling, exactly. But he was not frowning, which was quite the accomplishment. “Now tell us. What did you find?”

“I have learned a lot on my breif voyage,” Maui spoke to the crowd. “I am looking forward to sharing everything with you. Especially, how I fought a Needle Mouth,” Maui said leaning towards a group of exciting looking children. They all bounced with anticipation. “But first, I need to confer with my associate. Please excuse us,” Maui said with a polite smile. He placed his hand on Vea's back and guided her away from the crowd.

“Your associate?” Vea questioned when they were out of ear shot. She was acutely aware of the weight of Maui's hand on her back.

“You said you wanted to tell me everything in private. I figured no one would question us if I was the one who pulled you away instead of the other way around.” Maui replied. Vea found she could not argue with his logic. Waata probably would have accused Vea of conspiracy if she had pulled Maui aside.

“Did you really fight a Needle Mouth?” Vea asked. She shuddered, picturing the large fish with a long mouth full of thin teeth half the length of Vea herself.

“No,” Maui chuckled. “I did see one though. It was too busy gorging itself on a whale to pay me any mind. I just figured the kids would like some excitement.”

“I'm sure they will like the story no matter what,” Vea said. The presence of a Needle Mouth was still troubling, even if it did not attack Maui. Together, they walked into the jungle. Vea lead him to the bottomless pond and sat down on the bank. She let her feet dangle in the water. Vea said, patting the earth beside her for Maui to sit. Even sitting down he was still incredibly large. It was like sitting beside a boulder. “Tell me everything.”

“Mortals cannot pass the veil into the other world,” Maui said darkly.

“I know,” Vea replied in a purposefully casual tone. Maui's eyes widened.

“How can you possible know that?” He asked.

“Because I know everything,” Vea said with a shrug. “I told you, Moana came to see me as well. She told me what you would discover at the veil between worlds. But she did not tell me what was on the other side. What did you find?”

“Nothing,” Maui said as if he still did not quiet believe it. “It must be a new world. There is nothing but ocean. I tried to pull up an island, just to see if I still had power there. Luckily it worked. I pulled up a small spit of sand, just enough for me to stand on. It was difficult. The ocean is more resistant there.”

“But could you pull up an entire island big enough for the village?” Vea asked.

“It would take some time, but I could do it,” Maui replied confidently. “But what good is it if you and your people cannot cross?”

“Moana thought of that too,” Vea said with a smile. She then told Maui everything she had learned about the Eye's of Te Fiti and how they could use them to make a bridge between the worlds.

“Why didn't Moana just tell me all of this?” Maui asked, looking a little hurt.

“Because she knew the second you got your hook back you probably wouldn't be listening,” Vea teased. Maui laughed in agreement.

“So where is the first eye? She said it was somewhere on this island.”

“We are sitting right on top of it,” Vea answered, looking into the depths of the seemingly bottomless pond. “She said it was hidden in a network of caves beneath the island. I'm willing to bet that this is the most direct entrance.”

“Well what are we waiting for?” Maui said. Before Vea could react, Maui leaped into the water, hook and all, and disappeared from sight. A moment later, a massive shark erupted from the water. Vea flew backwards onto the bank with an cry of alarm.

“Come on, blue eyes.” The shark head spoke in Maui's voice.

“Don't call me that,” she grunted, annoyed, as she waded tentatively into the water. It was cool and refreshing on her skin but she did not like not knowing where the bottom was. She swam over to Maui and ran a hand over his new skin. It was rough and gray with strange markings reminiscent of his tattoos.

“Whatever you say, sweetness,” Maui replied, his teeth poking out from his top jaw in what Vea could only assume was a smile. She was irritated that, even as a shark, he was still charming.

“Don't call me that either.”

“You are no fun,” Maui teased. “Now grab a fin. We are going under.” Vea barely had enough time to grasp his dorsal fin before he dove straight down into the bottomless pool.

 


	16. The Hidden Cavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea and Maui find the hidden cavern where the first Eye of Te Fiti is hidden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took sooooo long, I have a lot of stuff going on at the moment. I'm sorry!  
> As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Vea clung to the rough dorsal fin of Maui as he dove straight down. She had been right to call the pond bottomless. Soon, they were so deep that the light from above could not penetrate the water. They were in total blackness and it was becoming colder and colder by the second.

Despite the heavy darkness, Maui seemed confident in his movements. He swam at an incredible speed. Vea was forced to close her eyes to block the sting of the rushing water. She could not be sure, but she thought she felt Maui's streamlined body shift direction so now they were traveling horizontally instead of straight down. Perhaps that was an indication they were reaching the hidden cave network.

It was now so cold that Vea's hands were going numb. It was becoming increasingly difficult to hold on to Maui. She grit her teeth and tried to grip tighter. Her lungs were strained from lack of oxygen. If Maui didn't find the cave soon, holding on to his fin would be the least of Vea's problems.

Suddenly, Maui shot upward. Behind her closed eyelids, Vea saw a flash of bright light. The dorsal fin slipped from her fingers. Blind and suffocating, Vea was seized with panic. Where had Maui gone? Had he left her alone to drown so he could claim the Eye for himself?

No sooner than she had finished the thought, she felt two strong arms wrap around her. She way aware she was moving upwards at an impossibly fast pace. Stars were starting to appear in her vision, dancing in the corners of her eyes. Then she broke the surface.

Maui held her to his chest as she sucked in greedy gulps of air until her throat burned.

“Can we not do that again?” She asked, her voice raspy, when she was able to breathe again. Maui looked down at her and laughed.

“I was going to ask if you were okay but since you're being snarky I'm going to assume you're just fine.” Vea stared up at him, a sharp remark on her tongue. Her words died in her mouth when her eyes met Maui's. He was smirking at her in a mocking way, but his eyes were gentle and filled with genuine relief that she was okay. He reached up and gentle pushed aside a clump of hair that was stuck on Vea's cheek. Her breathe caught in her chest as her heart quite literally skipped a beat.

“This must be where the Eye is hidden,” Vea said quickly changing the subject. She looked around at the cavern. It was larger than she would have ever imagined. It could easily fit a fleet of canoes three times the size of her village fleet. The walls and ceiling of the cavern were made up of black rock with veins of what looked like deep blue crystal. It was a stunning sight.

“We better get looking then,” Maui said, pulling her in tight as he swam forward.

“I can swim on my own, you know?” Vea murmured.

“Yes but I am a faster swimmer and you are just so small and portable!” Maui chuckled. “I figure we'd move faster if I just carried you.”

“Portable?” Vea exclaimed. She wiggled out of Maui's grasp, which was not difficult as he would not stop laughing.

“Okay, sweetness-”

“Don't call me that,” Vea cut him off. If she was being honest with herself, she would be able to admit that she actually liked the pet names he gave her. But she was not willing to risk getting used to it. In fact, the more distance she could keep between herself and Maui the better. She remembered the cold fear that gripped her when she saw his empty canoe wash into the cove. She was less likely to feel that again if she kept him at arms length.

“So, want to know something about me?” Maui said, swimming beside her as they ventured further into the cavern.

“Not particularly,” Vea replied. Maui stopped swimming and put a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him.

“An hour ago you were flinging yourself into the ocean because you were so happy to see me. What happened?” Maui asked. Vea could sense the annoyance in his voice but it was greatly outweighed by the concern in his eyes. Vea chewed on her bottom lip and let out a sigh.

“I'm sorry,” she said. The words tasted strange on her mouth. “I know I'm not an easy person to get along with.”

“We were getting along perfectly fine just before the Water Waif attack,” Maui countered. “You did like my stories didn't you?”

“I really did!” Vea replied, hoping she sounded as sincere as she felt.

“See? You aren't that difficult to get along with,” Maui smirked. “It just seems like you put up walls. You keep everyone at arms length. That can't be easy.”

“It's become a habit now,” Vea shrugged his hand off of her shoulder so she could continue looking through the tunnel. “I really don't mean to do it. It's just safer that way, you know?” Already she was telling him more than she meant to. Why couldn't she just shut him out the same way she could with everyone else? Why couldn't he understand that it would be easier on both of them if they didn't get too close?

“Not really. I've spent a large portion of my long life exiled from other people. I can't imagine wanting to shut anyone out,” Maui said, continuing to search for the Eye as well. He didn't sound angry or bitter, just honest. Vea had not thought about that before. She felt guilty for pushing people away when someone like Maui, who so clearly loved being around people, was forced to be alone.

“Tell me what you were going to say,” Vea offered. When Maui looked over at her, she offered a small smile to show she really wanted to know.

“Okay,” Maui grinned. They continued swimming deeper into the cavern. “Moana was not my only real friend. I had one other. He wasn't exactly a person but he was definitely a part of me.”

“How do you mean?” Vea asked as she stretched her legs downward, looking for something she could stand on but the water was still too deep.

“He was one of my tattoos,” Maui explained. “He used to be right here.” He pointed to a spot on his pectoral that looked oddly blank compared to the rest of him.

“One of your tattoos disappeared?” Vea asked, staring at his chest. It was hard to ignore the nice shape of his muscular chest. She forced herself to look away before Maui noticed that she was staring.

“He was more than a tattoo. He was sort of alive. He could move across my skin. He had his own little personality. I called him Mini Maui. For a long time, he was my only company,” Maui said sadly. “I'm hoping that finding the lost Eyes will maybe persuade Te Fiti to bring him back to me. I miss the little guy.”

“I hope it works out for you and Mini Maui,” Vea said truthfully. She wondered what she would do if she had a tattoo that was alive. For one thing, she would never feel alone.

“Thanks,” Maui replied. “So, any idea where the Eye is?”

“Moana told me it was down here but she didn't give me any specific directions,” Vea recalled. She wished she had thought to ask. “There has to be some sort of clue around here.”

“It looks like there a path going up the side of the cavern,” Maui said pointing to a barely visible ledge that serpentined back and fourth all the way up the cavern wall. “If anything, we can get a better look at this place.” Vea nodded in agreement and followed after Maui as he quickly cut through the water. Vea was a strong swimmer but she was clearly no match for a demigod.

“Hurry up!” Maui called to her. He had already made his way to the ledge and had pulled himself out of the water.

“What do you care how long I take?” Vea called back, deliberately swimming slower just to annoy him. “You're immortal.”

“Immortality does not equal patience,” Maui replied. “And that's coming from you, the most impatient person I've ever met.”

Vea had a playfully scathing remark ready to fire back. But she didn't get to say it. Something slimy wrapped around her ankle and pulled her down into the black water before she had a chance to scream.

 


	17. The First Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vea and Maui find the first eye, but not after they run into a few problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so long! Actually I'm not really that sorry. Yes, there is more angst. So much angst.  
> Enjoy!

The blackness came down around Vea and she was dragged back down into the water. Blind and frantic, she lashed out. She was closer to the stone wall than she originally thought. Her hand landed hard against stone and coral. She felt the skin of her palm rip as the sharp spines of the coral tore at her skin but she grabbed hold. If she could just break a piece off she could stab whatever was dragging her down.

Her torn hand slipped off the first branch of coral, but was able to grip the next. All she had to do was hold on as tightly as she could and the monster dragging her below would do the rest. The coral bit into her already bleeding palm.

The coral cracked and Vea manage to grab a piece almost as long as her forearm. She thrust her body forward, towards her trapped ankle and stabbed viciously. She missed the first few times but then she felt the shard of coral sink deep into the flesh of the creature. It let out a shriek so awful it gave Vea chills and made her feel ill. It released it's grip on her ankle. Vea swam for the surface as quickly as she could. Her lungs felt like they were going to burst.

Above her, she saw a curve of blue light. Maui's fishhook. With renewed vigor, she swam towards the light. She slammed right into Maui's chest as he was diving down to find her. He tucked her under his arm and shot upwards at an unnaturally face pace.

“Put your arms around my neck,” Maui instructed, moving so his back was facing her. She obliged with no argument. With a flash of his hook, Maui transformed into a giant hawk and sprang straight upwards toward the cavern ceiling.

Below them, a forest of thick black tentacles erupted from the water, trashing and shrieking angrily. Vea felt dizzy as she realized that was the creature that had taken hold of her. She shut her eyes tight and buried her face in Maui's feathers, stopping herself from looking at the monster any longer.

Maui dug his talons into the rock ledge at the top of the cavern. Once Vea had climbed off of his back he transformed back into his normal form. Vea wanted to speak, to thank him for helping her get out of the water, but the words were stuck in her throat. She pushed herself as far away from the ledge as she could. Maui sat down beside her, watching her carefully.

“I thought you were a goner,” he said. “How did you get it to let go of you?” If Vea wasn't so shaken, she would have been flattered by the tone of amazement in his voice.

“I stabbed it,” she mumbled, shuddering at the memory.

“Where have you been all my life?” Maui chuckled, clearly impressed. Vea's heart twisted at his words but she made sure her expression stayed blank. She did not look at him. She could not admit to him, or herself, that she had been thinking the exact same thing. Perhaps if she had someone like Maui in her life sooner, she wouldn't be the person she was today.

“Let's find the Eye and get out of here,” she said briskly, as she got to her feet. “I seriously hope it's not in the water,” she said, risking a glance at the blackness below. The creature must have given up. The surface of the water was as smooth as glass, like nothing had happened. Vea shuddered again.

“I think I found it,” Maui called to her. He was standing father down the ledge by what looked like a stone bridge. The bridge lead to a large stone platform, the bottom of which Vea had mistaken for the ceiling of the cavern. Looking directly up, it was impossible to tell the platform was there at all, making it the ideal hiding place for a lost relic. In the center of the platform was a beam of white light that moved like a waterfall. In the center of the beam, Vea could make out the shape of something round and solid.

“That has to be it,” she said excitedly. She rushed over to Maui, grabbed his arm, which was almost as thick as she was, and dragged him across the bridge.

“Hot and cold, hot and cold,” Maui muttered playfully under his breath.

“What was that?” Vea said over her shoulder.

“Nothing, my dear,” Maui replied. “You're just the moodiest person I've ever met.”

“Tell me something I don't know,” Vea said. “And I'm not your dear.”

“You say that now,” Maui teased. Vea faced forward so he wouldn't see her blush. She adored and despised the way he made her forget her apprehensions. She had to remind herself that Maui was not a constant, and there was no point in getting used to him.

They had reached the beam of light. Vea looked up to see how high the light shone. She saw an opening in the cavern far above them where a small pinprick of light shone down. They were much farther underground than Vea had imagined possible. She turned her attention back to the beam of liquid light and the perfectly spherical object a little bit smaller than a coconut hovering at eye level.

“That has to be the Eye,” she said softly. Maui reached out to grab it, but his hand went right through it. He tried again with the same result. He looked at Vea, confused.

“It could be a diversion,” he said. “The real Eye could be somewhere else entirely.”

“Moana said we both have to touch it,” Vea recalled. “Put your hand on it at the same time that I do.” She moved to the other side of the beam so she was standing opposite to Maui. He stretched out his hand and the exact same time she did. She held his gaze as they both reached toward the Eye. Vea was relieved when her fingertips touched a solid surface. Maui looked at her smiling.

“Good thinking, sweetness,” Maui commended. Vea slid her hand over the cool, smooth surface until her palm was pressed against it.

_You need to trust him,_ a voice came. Vea jumped, snatching her hand back from the surface of the Eye. Maui's hand slipped. Now that Vea was not touching the Eye, he was unable to touch it as well.

“Did you hear that?” Vea asked, her eyes darting around frantically.

“Hear what?” Maui asked slowly.

“Shh,” Vea hushed him, listening intently.

“You asked me a question,” Maui grumbled.

“Shh!” Vea said more forcefully. Maui rolled his eyes.

_Those who close their hearts are not worthy of true sight,_ the voice came again. It was the voice of a woman. There was no anger or malice in the voice. In fact, it was quiet calm. It sounded like the voice of a wizened woman explaining the ways of the world to a child, like a mother. Vea felt ashamed of herself. The feeling was quickly replaced by anger.

“This is not about my heart, this is about survival!” She said out loud. Her voice echoed off the cavern walls.

“What is going on?” Maui demanded.

“Put your hand on the Eye when I do. As soon as you get a hold, grab it. We are leaving with this Eye no matter what,” Vea said, glaring at the cavern around her as if the owner of the voice could see her.

“What just happened?” Maui asked again.

“Just do it!” Vea snapped. She laid her palm against the Eye at the same time as Maui did. He quickly grabbed the Eye with is other hand and lifted it out of the light. The moment he did so, the bridges around the platform began to crumble. The platform teetered beneath their feet.

“Take this,” Maui commanded, thrusting the Eye into Vea's arms. She held it tight to her body, determined not to drop it as the floor beneath her feet began to disintegrate. “Now hold on,” Maui warned as he lifted his hook. Vea quickly climbed onto his back and held on to his shoulder tightly with one hand as he transformed once again into a hawk.

“Up there!” Vea directed him towards the light coming from above as the platform fell away and crashed into the water below. Maui swung upwards, flapping his powerful wings, dodging chunks of stone as he flew. It wasn't just the platform that was falling, the entire cavern was caving in on itself.

Vea was certain they were going to be buried beneath the rock fall. Maui gave one more flap and projected them straight through the opening at the top of the cavern.

Vea realized she had been holding her breath. She tried to suck in air but immediately started choking. Somehow, she and Maui were underwater. She looked down, expecting to see the cavern crumbling below them, but instead she saw the bottomless floor of the little pond in the jungle. She kicked vigorously and burst through the surface of the crystal blue water.

“How the hell is that possible?” Vea sputtered, clamoring onto the muddy shore. She was still clutching the Eye close to her body with one hand.

“We are dealing with very old magic,” Maui replied, a man once again. “A better question to ask would be 'what isn't possible'.” From the look on his face, he was just as surprised as Vea was that they had ended up back in the pond. “The real question is what the hell happened down there?”

“What do you mean?” Vea said evasively. She got to her feet and started walking back in the direction of her village but Maui stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

“Go ahead. Try to push past me. See how that works out for you,” he said, folding his arms across the massive expanse of his chest. 

“She wasn't going to let me take the Eye,” Vea said at last.

“Who wasn't?” Maui asked.

“I don't know,” Vea sighed. “When I touched the Eye the first time, I heard a woman's voice. She said that I was not worthy of true sight as long as I kept my heart closed. Which is completely ridiculous.” Vea shook her head and look at the Eye in her hands. This was the first time she really got a proper look at it. It looked similar to a pearl. There was some sort of clear shield around it and swirling around slowly inside was a milky iridescent light, like pure moonlight. Vea felt calm when she looked into it. She felt like she could watch the lazy swirling light for hours.

“So your first instinct was to steal it?” Maui said slowly. “I don't even think I have to tell you how stupid that was,”

“It worked, didn't it?” Vea retorted. Maui leveled her with a stare that shook Vea's iron resolve. She chewed her bottom lip and shuffled on the spot. “Look, I'm not going to apologize for doing something so my people have a chance at survival. But,” she paused, swallowing her pride. “I'm sorry I put you in danger in the process.”

“Me?” Maui scoffed. “You think I'm worried about myself? I have been around a long time and I have faced way more than a little cave in. I wasn't worried about getting out of that situation. But you? You could have been killed. We haven't even left the island and you've already almost died three times! There is no way you are coming with me to retrieve the other Eye.”

“Maui, you can't be serious,” Vea protested. Maui had turned his back on her and was walking back towards the village, nearly knocking down the tightly packed trees in his way.

“I'm dead serious, sunshine. You're staying in the village where you belong,” he said over his shoulder.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Vea demanded, storming after him.

“What I mean in that little girls like you have no business getting themselves into dangerous situations like that,” Maui replied.

“Is that what you told Moana?” Vea shouted after him. She instantly regretted her words. Maui stopped in his tracks in the middle of the jungle. Vea quietly walked up behind him, chewing on her bottom lip. She slowly raised her hand and laid it against his back. “Maui, I-” Maui whirled around, catching her arm in his hand.

“I did say that to Moana. She didn't listen to me. My mistake was that I didn't try harder,” he said. A dark anger was clouding his eyes. His whole face seemed to change into a bitter mask. “I am not making that same mistake again. You are staying here. I am going to find the other Eye without you. I am not losing anyone else.” He released her hand and stalked back through the trees. This time, Vea did not run after him.

 


	18. The Wisdom of Kana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grandma Kana lays down some of her wisdom for Maui and Vea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roll here, I might even try to add another chapter tonight since I literally do not sleep.   
> Grandma Kana and her sass give me life, I hope you all enjoy her as much as I do.

When Vea stepped through the trees, nearly everyone got to their feet and gasped. Vea realized that she must look quite a sight. She was covered in mud, dirt and quiet a few scrapes. With a gasp of her own, she realized that in all the excitement she had completely forgotten about the hand she had sliced open on the coral fragments. No doubt that's what most of the people in her village were looking at, since her hand was freely dripping with blood. She grimaced when she realized she had smeared her blood all over the surface of the Eye on her walk back. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice.

She quickly tried to wipe away the blood on the side of her skirt. She managed to get most of it. She felt guilty for tarnishing something so lovely. Her eyes flicked through the sea of worried faces, searching for Maui. She did not see him. Her heart sank a little.

“Vea, what happened to you?” Chief Ahohako pushed his way through the villagers to get to his daughter. Grandma Kana was not far behind him.

“It was Maui! He must have attacked her,” Waata yelled quickly. Vea rolled her eyes.

“Shut up, Waata. I can't take any more of your stupidity,” she glared at him. “Maui did not attack me. He actually saved my life several times today.”

“Then where is he?” Her father asked.

“He went back to his encampment,” Vea lied. “He said he would be back later.” She heard a collective groan from the group of children that had pushed their way to the front of the crowd.

“We wanted to hear about the Needle Mouth,” one of the children pouted. Vea smiled as she knelt down to their level.

“Why would you want to hear about some boring old Needle Mouth when I just fought off a monster with a thousand arms?” She said, waving her good arm like a tentacle. The children crowded around her, wide eyed.

“There's a monster on the island?” A little girl asked fearfully. Vea shook her head.

“Don't worry, it can't get to you. I crushed it with a _huge_ rock inside of a magical cave,” Vea explained.

“What about Maui?” another child asked. “You didn't crush him did you?”

“No, silly,” Vea laughed. “I told you he went back to his camp. Maui actually pulled me from the water right after I wrestled out of the monsters slimy grip.” Vea launched into the story of how she and Maui found the hidden cavern, pausing to answer questions from the children and the villagers.

“Did you go in the cave to get treasure?” a little boy asked. Vea nodded and held up the Eye.

“Maui and I went into the cave to retrieve this,” she said loudly, so everyone could hear her. “This is the Eye of Te Fiti. Both Eyes can be used to create a bridge to another world, a world where we will be safe.” A murmur of excitement and apprehension rippled through the villagers.

“Where is the other Eye?” Chief Ahohako asked. Vea sucked in air through her teeth.

“That's the thing. We don't know. The Eye we have is supposed to lead us to the other one.”

“You can't be serious,” hissed Waata as he pushed his way forward. “Can't you people see Maui has bewitched her into leading us to our deaths?” Vea stared at Waata wide eyed. Never in her life had she been more tempted to throw a rock at someone's head.

“I am not bewitched!” Vea snapped. “And I don't hear you coming up with any brilliant plans to save our people.”

“It does sounds a little far fetched,” Chief Ahohako said gently.

“Maui and I will explain everything the moment he gets back,” Vea said smoothly. She had no idea when Maui was coming back, or even _if_ he was coming back. But at least she had bought herself some time to think of a plan.

But what Vea did not know is that Maui had come back. He was walking up to the village when Grandma Kana cut him off.

“I need to speak to you, young man,” she said firmly. She motioned for him to follow her so they would be out of Vea's sight. Maui smirked, amused at the notion of being called a young man. He was several thousand years older than the little woman hobbling ahead of him. He had the distinct feeling of a child that was about to be scolded. Grandma Kana stopped abruptly and turned to face him. Maui did not dare speak first. The old lady had sharp eyes that were a little unsettling.

“Why did Vea come back on her own?” Grandma Kana demanded. Maui sighed and lowered his head.

“We...sort of had a disagreement,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I told her she was not going to come with me when I went to find the other Eye of Te Fiti.”

“I bet she loved that,” Kana snorted.

“Still, I should not have left her on her own. I apologize,” he said, lowering his head to Kana.

“Oh please, she's more than capable of taking care of herself out there,” Kana dismissed him. “I did not bring you over here to scold you, if that's what you are thinking.” Maui looked at Kana with surprise and interest. _The old lady must be some kind of mind reader,_ he thought to himself then immediately wondered if she had heard that.

“You care about her, don't you?” Kana asked after a brief silence. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes. Maui considered that she may be trying to trick him somehow. But even if she was, he decided honestly was the best way to go. He knew Grandma Kana would know if he lied.

“Yes, I do,” he answered. Kana squealed with delight as if she were a young girl, catching Maui completely off guard.

“How exciting!” Kana exclaimed. She noticed Maui's apprehensive expression.

“Vea can be difficult to get close to,” Kana said in a serious tone. “She's been like that ever since she lost her mother.”

“She did not tell me she lost her mother,” Maui said, his voice softer. He looked back in the direction of the village. Many things about Vea's temperament and unwillingness to get close to others were beginning to make more sense.

“Vea doesn't tell anyone anything,” Kana said, her voice too taking on a tone of sadness. “Sometimes I see glimpses of the girl she was before. I know she's still in there somewhere.”

“I see it too sometimes,” Maui confessed. “Sometimes, when she is surprised or really enjoying something her eyes light up. But as soon as she realizes what's happening, she shuts it off.”

“Because she's afraid to lose it again,” Kana said. “She thinks it's better to feel nothing ever than to feel something wonderful and lose it. I know she can be frustrating but don't give up on her just yet,” Kana said with a hint of pleading in her voice. Maui smiled gently.

“I wasn't planning on giving up on her,” he said confidently.

“Good! However, if you hurt her, not even the gods will be able to protect you from my wrath,” Kana said with an unnervingly sweet smile.

“Noted,” Maui said, his voice coming out several octaves higher than he intended. Still smiling, Kana linked her arm through Maui's and lead him back to the village.

“Look who I ran into!” Kana said in a matter of fact voice. Maui forced himself to smile. His eyes immediately went to Vea. She was actively not looking at him. Instead she was tracing a finger over the surface of the Eye. Maui noticed her hand was still bleeding. “What all is going on here?” Kana continued, breaking the tense silence.

“Vea and Maui may have discovered a way to a new world,” Chief Ahohako said. If Kana noticed the apprehensive tone of her son's voice, she did not show it. Instead she beamed widely.

“Well that is most exciting. And it's about time we've had some good news around here. In celebration of this discovery, I say we shall have a feast!” Kana announced excitedly. Many of the villagers shared in her excitement and began chattering to each other about preparations, any uncertainty from before was quickly pushed aside for a later time. With the approval of Chief Ahohako, they scattered quickly to get everything ready by sundown.

Despite everything, Vea felt a shiver of anticipation. She always loved a celebration feast. There would be music, dancing, storytelling and more food than anyone could eat. She heard one of the village hunters mention a pig he had caught earlier today and her mouth began to water. She had not had pork in ages.

She was pulled from her thoughts of food by Grandma Kana, who had placed a wrinkled hand on her arm.

“Come with me. Let me fix that hand,” Grandma Kana tutted, taking Vea by the arm and ushering her into the hut containing all of the medicinal herbs. Kana fetched some thin fiber bandages and a shallow bowl full of foul smelling orange paste. Vea wrinkled her nose as Kana slathered it on the bandages. “What in this world is wrong with you, child?” Kana snapped so suddenly that Vea jumped.

“Excuse me?” Vea stuttered.

“Someone cares about you. Not just anyone, a demigod for Te Fiti's sake,” Kana muttered as she wrapped the bandage around Vea's hand a little too tightly.

“What are you talking about?” Vea winced. Kana whacked her on the crown of her hand with a large dried leaf.

“Don't play stupid, you know exactly what I am talking about,” Kana said. Vea remained silent, her eyes fixed on her bandaged hand. All of her effort was going into stopping herself from picturing Maui's face. His bright, playful eyes, his captivating smile, his surprisingly expressive eyebrows. Kana whacked her with the leaf again.

“Clearly there has been a misunderstanding,” Vea said weakly, bringing her hand up to stop the leaf assault. “Maui and I are friends at best. And that's being generous.”

“Only because that's all you allow yourself to be,” Kana said, exasperated. “You are plenty clever, you can't be completely unaware that he has feeling for you. And you would not be avoiding this topic so much if you did not have feelings for him in return.”

“It would be stupid for me to have feelings for him,” Vea argued. “Like you said, he's a demigod.”

“What does that matter?” Kana challenged.

“Demigods don't fall in love with mortals,” Vea said dismissively. “So it would be pointless to hope otherwise.”

“Just because you have not heard it in a story does not mean it's impossible,” Kana said. “Demigod or not I think Maui is good for you. You've become a more like your old self since you've met him. And whether you want to believe it or not, he does have feeling for you. Strong ones. And I would hate to see you miss out on a chance of real happiness because you are afraid.”

“Grandma-” Vea started but she was quickly cut off.

“I may not be long for this earth and the least you can do is grant me one wish before I die. I just want to see you happy” Kana said stubbornly and more than a little melodramatically. Vea hated it when Grandma Kana played the death card. She knew perfectly well that not even Te Ka could take Kana from this earth without Kana's consent. The old lady was just too stubborn.

“Fine,” Vea relented. She pressed her hand against her temple to stave off an incoming headache. “I will make an effort not to shut him out. But I can't promise anything more than that.”

“That's all I wanted. Now, go make yourself pretty for your demigod,” Kana teased. Vea grimaced outwardly, but inwardly she felt light and tingly.

“He's not my demigod,” Vea said, trying not to smile.

“I'm already planning your wedding!”

“Grandma!”

 


	19. The Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maui and Vea enjoy the village feast together, at least before Waata disrupts them. Moana visits the island once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost 4 am.   
> I used this chapter for a small tribute to the music of Moana, which was amazing. I changed up the lyrics a tiny bit just so they would relate more to the current situation.   
> Mild fluff in this chapter.  
> I'm going to pass out on my keyboard.   
> Why did I drink coffee at 10 pm.

Vea sat alone in her hut for a long time thinking about everything that had happened since her people came to this island only a few days ago. It seemed like so much longer than that. She thought about what Grandma Kana said about opening herself to Maui.

Maui.

Every time she thought about him her heart would begin to race and she felt incredibly anxious. What if he was angry with her for bringing up Moana back at the pond? If he really did have feelings for her like Kana said he did, Vea was pretty sure she tarnished them.

Feeling flustered and overwhelmed, she picked up the Eye of Te Fiti. She watched the pure light swirling inside and allowed it to calm her. At that moment, something occurred to her. She lifted the Eye so it was level with her face.

“Te Fiti?” She whispered. “Can you see me?” It made sense, the glowing orb was Te Fiti's Eye after all. “I'm really sorry I technically stole this,” Vea said quietly, figuring it was better to be safe than sorry. “I promise I will give it back. I just have to save my people. I hope you can understand. And it wasn't Maui's fault at all. It was all me. So, don't punish him or anything.” Vea was now starting to feel very awkward, sitting in her dim hut talking to a glowing ball. With a sigh, she set the Eye back down on her blanket. She had folded it so it would provide padding on all sides of the Eye.

Vea now had no choice but to do what she had been dreading. She had to get ready for the feast. She did not have many clothes. A few skirts, a few tops, and one dress that she hardly ever wore. She settled on a skirt she had recently finished. She had made it from the brightest, greenest leaves she could find and she had decorated the waistband with small white flowers. She paired it with a white strapless top made from soft fibers bleached colorless by the sun that covered from the tops of her breasts to the bottom of her ribs, leaving some of her midriff exposed. She took the extra time to weave some sweet smelling white flowers into her curls.

“At least Grandma can't say I didn't try,” Vea told herself, feeling incredibly self conscious. After fixing her skirt and re-doing her hair twice more, she accepted that there was nothing else she could do to delay the inevitable and forced herself to step out of her hut.

The village was aglow with firelight. In addition to the fire pit, which was slow roasting a massive boar, torches had been placed all around the village so nothing escaped it's golden light. The sun was slowly dipping below the horizon, sparkling off the sapphire ocean. A blanket of stars was settling over the island. The drummers had started playing. People were already dancing, those who were not dancing were watching with rapture.

She spotted Maui on the other side of the clearing. He was watching the people dance and sipping water from a coconut half. He looked over as Vea stepped into the firelight and he nearly dropped his drink. He was looking at her like she was a fallen star, or a piece of the moon, like something rare and beautiful. No one had ever looked at Vea like that before. She felt herself flush.

Maui had sent down the coconut half and was walking towards her. Vea panicked. She looked around quickly for some sort of distraction. But then she remembered her promise to Grandma Kana, that she would at least _try_ not to push Maui away. So she met him halfway.

“Still think you're going to find the second Eye with out me?” Vea said. She inwardly cursed herself. That was not how she wanted to start this conversation.

“Most definitely,” Maui replied. But there was no anger or annoyance in his voice. In fact, he was smiling. Vea instantly felt more at ease. His smile had that effect on her.

“Okay,” she said calmly. Maui looked at her, his eyebrow rising in suspicion.

“I'm waiting for the ball to drop,” he said. Vea grinned.

“I was just wondering how you plan to take the second Eye when you can't even touch it by yourself,” she said sweetly, popping a slice of mango in her mouth. Maui opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Vea could see that he was racking his brain for a response, but she had cornered him. The Eye needed two hosts to form the connection. Without her, Maui's hand would pass right through the Eye like it did in the cavern.

“Hmm,” Maui said. “I guess you're coming with me then, sunshine.”

“I'm glad we could reach an agreement,” Vea said smugly. “When should we leave?”

“Sooner the better, I'd say,” Maui considered. “We don't know how long we have until the darkness finds this island.” Vea felt reality press down on her once again.

“You're right,” she said quietly. Maui noticed the change in her demeanor, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We will leave at dawn tomorrow,” he said. “Tonight, you and I are going to have fun.”

“What do you-” Vea was cut off as Maui took her hand and tugged her to where everyone was dancing. He joined the line of men and Vea found her place in the line of women, facing Maui. It had been so long since she danced she was worried she would forget the steps. Thankfully, she fell into the rhythm quickly. Her body remembered how to tell the stories of the dances. She swished her hips, flourished her hands, and spun like she had been doing it every day.

Maui was surprisingly light on his feet for someone so large. Vea found herself watching him at every opportunity. And he watched her. For a moment, Vea could almost pretend she was an ordinary girl on an ordinary island in a world that was not being eaten away by an insatiable darkness. She could pretend that Maui was just an ordinary man and she could fall in love with him just like an ordinary girl.

A sudden, loud bang from a drum startled everyone. It was Waata. In the harsh light of the fire he looked especially menacing.

“I demand that Vea and Maui tell us their plan,” he said. _So much for ordinary,_ Vea thought bitterly to herself. Maui had come to stand beside her. Chief Ahohako started to move towards Waata but Maui spoke up.

“That's fair,” Maui said calmly. “After all it does affect every one of you. We will tell you everything. Vea, would you mind getting the Eye?”

“Sure,” Vea said, looking at Maui uneasily. Waata was making her increasingly nervous. He had always been a thorn in her side but lately he was becoming more unnerving than annoying. Maui gave her a reassuring wink as she walked to her hut. She scooped up the Eye in her arms and hurried back.

“As Vea already explained, this is the Eye of Te Fiti. When it is united with it's mate it has the power to restore things that were once lost and create paths that were once hidden,” Maui spoke clearly. “We believe that if we find the other Eye we can create a path from this world to the next that everyone can cross over to safety.”

“Exactly how long have you known about these Eyes?” Waata asked, his voice dripping with doubt.

“Actually, I did not know of their existence until Vea told me about them,” Maui replied.

“Vea?” Now it was Chief Ahohako who spoke. He looked at his daughter, puzzled.

“So it was the cursed one who came up with this plan?” Waata snarled. “She will doom us all.”

“She is not cursed,” Maui growled in Vea's defense.

“Vea, how did you learn of the Eyes?” Chief Ahohako asked gently.

“A spirit came to me,” Vea said solemnly.

“She communes with spirits! She admits it!” Waata shouted angrily. “This girl makes deals with demons. What are you getting out of it then? Immortality? Are you selling us to ensure your own survival?”

“Watch your tongue,” Chief Ahohako threatened at the same time Maui said, “Shut your mouth.” Vea remained silent. She looked down at the Eye she held in her arms, hiding her blue eyes from sight.

“Is it really so hard to believe?” Waata demanded, now speaking to the other villagers. “This is the same girl who almost doomed us all to save one.”

“That 'one' was my mother!” Vea shrieked, speaking at last. “How dare you hold it against me that I would try to save my own mother, you slimy coward!”

“I would condemn you in an instant if it meant I could have my wife back,” Chief Ahohako spat at Waata. “Your disrespect has gone far enough.”

“Your foolish reign has gone on long enough, _Chief_ ” Waata challenged.

“Okay, I've had enough from you,” Maui said. He made a move for Waata. Just before Maui's fist connected with Waata's face, a strong wind blew through the village. All of the torches blew out. Even the fire lost it's glow. The village was now bathed in a bright blue light coming from the ocean. A light Vea had seen once before. She turned to Maui.

“Moana,” she said urgently before she took off running for the beach. Maui followed her without hesitation. The entire village trailed after them, curious and fearful.

Instead of a fully formed spirit like Moana had appeared to Vea the time before, there was a towering wall of water just feet from the shore. Vea felt a pull deep in the pit of her stomach. She walked forward towards the wall of water.

“Vea,” Maui called after her. But she could not hear him. Her ears were filled with the sound of a roaring sea, even though the water before her was peaceful.

“What is happening to her?” Chief Ahohako demanded.

“The spirit has returned to speak with her again,” Kana, who had been quiet through most of the ordeal, had finally spoken up. There was no trace of alarm in her voice. She watched her granddaughter step into the sea with an expression of curiosity.

“The spirit of who?” The Chief persisted.

“ _Listen,”_ Kana insisted. There was a soft voice singing on the breeze. It was so quiet that it took everyone a moment to realize it was coming from Vea.

 

_She was a girl who loved her island_

_And a girl who loved the sea_

_She calls me_

 

_She was the daughter of a village chief_

_She was descended from voyagers_

_Who found their way across the world_

_And they call me_

 

_She delivered us to where we are_

_She had journeyed farther_

_I am everything she's learned and more_

_Still she calls me_

 

Vea turned around to face her people. Everyone, including Maui, gasped when they saw that Vea's eyes were glowing bright blue with the exact unnatural light that was coming from the sea. Vea's voice was growing stronger.

 

_And the call isn't out there at all_

_It's inside me_

_It's like the tide_

_Always falling and rising_

 

The people of the village gasped as a face appeared in the wall of water, the face of a young girl. Maui felt his breath catch in his chest. He never thought he would see her face again.

 

_I will carry her here in my heart_

_She reminds me_

 

The ocean wrapped around Vea's waist and carried her forward until she was in front of Maui. The ocean had lifted her so she was now at eye level with him. Her eyes were still glowing and unseeing, but she took Maui's hands in hers and squeezed them tightly.

 

_That come what may_

_We know the way_

 

And just like that, everything stopped. The silence that followed was unsettling. The bright light drained from Vea's eyes as she closed them. The ocean laid her down on the sand before retreating. The sea was as it had always been. Maui, Kana, and Chief Ahohako ran to Vea's side. She looked as if she was simply sleeping.

“Vea, can you hear me?” Vea slowly opened her eyes and found herself looking up at his face. His brow was furrowed deep, his worried eyes searched her face.

“Maui,” she sighed. She tried to sit up but sharp pain split across her skull.

“Slowly, slowly,” Maui urged. He put one massive hand behind her back to steady her.

“Maui, what happened?” She asked again.

“I don't exactly know,” he admitted. “Do you remember anything?”

“I had a strange dream,” Vea said, confused.

“You weren't dreaming. The ocean rose up in a massive wall. You were singing to it,” Maui continued. “You were singing about Moana. For a moment, I swear I saw her face in the water. And your eyes turned blue.”

“Um, Maui? My eyes are always blue,” Vea said. Maui laughed softly.

“I know that,” he chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “But they were really, really blue. They were glowing just like the ocean was.”

“Moana did say she would be around, keeping an eye on us,” Vea said, trying to sound casual.

“That's was dramatic. Even for her,” Maui said uneasily.

“She was proving a point,” Vea said in Moana's defense. “No one will doubt my word now.”

“Yeah,” Maui laughed. “I think that whole ordeal took ten years off Waata's life.”

“Maybe now he will learn to keep his mouth shut,” Vea grumbled.

“I doubt that,” Kana said dryly.

“Speaking of Waata,” Chief Ahohako said solemnly. “I am going to go make him deeply regret speaking to you in such a way.” He gently touched Vea's cheek before trudging back up the beach.

“I'm going to give a vague excuse to leave so you two will be forced to be alone,” Kana said cheerfully.

“Grandma!” Vea hissed. Kana laughed all the way up the beach.

“I can't tell if she's amazing or terrifying,” Maui said. They could still hear Kana laughing even though she was out of sight.

“She is both,” Vea smiled despite herself. They sat in silence for a moment. It was not awkward, it was actually quite comfortable. Vea did not know silence between two people could feel comfortable. She found herself pleasantly surprised.

“By the way,” Maui said after a few more moments. He had been tracing intricate designs in the sand with his fingers. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Vea said. And she meant it. Maui looked at her with surprise.

“No quips or insults?” He asked playfully.

“No. I decided to be sincere for once in my life,” Vea replied with a smile.

“How hard did you hit your head when the ocean dropped you?” Maui asked, taking her head in his hands and pretending to examine her. Vea giggled and played along. “Well I don't see any bumps but I still say you're insane.”

“No more insane than you!” Vea shot back, lifting her chin out of his hands.

“That's what's so scary about you,” Maui teased. “And that's also what I really like about you.” They fell into a comfortable silence once again. Vea started adding her own designs in the sand, entwining them with Maui's. Eventually, he broke the silence.

“If we are going to set out tomorrow, you need to get some sleep,” he said.

“I don't sleep well,” Vea shrugged. “I usually get up and walk around the village. That's actually how I found you that night after the Water Waif bit you.”

“Is there anything that helps you sleep at all?” Maui asked.

“Thunder,” Vea said after some thought. “I've always liked the sound of thunder. And before, when things weren't so awful, my father used to tell me stories until I fell asleep.”

“Well why didn't you just say so?” Maui said. “Lay back.”

“What?” Vea said, her body going tense. Maui stretched out on the sand and extended one arm.

“Lay back,” he repeated, patting his bicep. Vea looked at him skeptically, but she did as he asked. She rested her head on his bicep. It was surprisingly comfortable. With his other hand, he lifted his hook to the sky. A breeze began to blow across the island, gathering dark clouds in the sky. Thunder began to rumble.

“I have to admit, that was impressive,” Vea said as the comforting sound of thunder rolled over the mountains of the island.

“Perks of being a demigod,” Maui grinned. “Now close your eyes.” Vea did what she was told. She listened to the thunder for a few moments, feeling more relaxed than she had in a very long time. Maui began to tell her a story. He spoke softly, his deep voice was just as soothing as the thunder. It was not long before Vea drifted off into a deep sleep.

 


End file.
